One of my cookies is missing!
by crystalquirt
Summary: Story posted years ago, needed finishing, this is part one. Nana accidentally makes magic cookies that turn a person who stole one into a werewolf. Tobey is attacked and 'turned.' Nana frantically looks for an antidote.
1. Chapter 1

Title: One of my cookies is missing

Category: Cartoons » Three Delivery

Author: crystalquirt

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Mystery/Horror

Published: 11-02-12, Updated: 05-10-17

Chapters: 1, Words: 8,935

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Chapter 1: Chapter 1

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Updated: 05-12-17 fixed errors 5/15/ fixed time line problems and several other issues pointted out by readers! Thanks so much! Changed where things may have been unclear - i hope its better than when i first posted it, and I am going to finish it this time.

a Three Delivery fic

by Crystalquirt

Requested by

Silverheartlugia2000

Up all night for three nights in a row, and looking a little like a mad scientist Nana tucked a strand of loose hair back into the bun on the back of her head. She carried a tray of cookies that she placed on the table in the pantry. The were still steaming and faintly glowed light blue.

Exhausted, she left them out to cool and went up to catch a nap before the restaurant would open in a couple of hours.

The back door at Wu's Garden, the one that led to the beautiful outdoor garden where the three teens practiced and learned their Kung Fu was standing open. Left that way by Barney, who was supposed to lock up, before he went to bed.

A human form dressed in black watched the upstairs windows from the alley behind the garden. When the last bedroom light went out, finally as it was almost dawn, the figure entered the garden, and into the closed restaurant.

The dark figure sneaked silently from room to room, in the restaurant, and finally, after finding nothing to steal, made it's way downstairs to the pantry.

A feminine whisper came through the darkness, "Damn, I can't find anything – no safe, no money in the cash register, nothing!"

She paused by the tray of cookies. "Well, at least I get something for my time." She popped one in her mouth and ran upstairs and out the back door. There was a flash of blue light in the garden.

On that beautiful Friday morning, after only a couple of hours sleep, Nana was up before the three teens had to leave for school.

Coming into the dining room from the pantry, Nana came over to where Tobey, Sue and Sid sat in a booth. She looked upset.

"Kids, one of my cookies is missing from the cookie sheet!" Nana exclaimed, looking specifically at Tobey. "They were cooling in the pantry and now one is gone!"

Tobey saw her glare at him and looked at Sid and Sue. By the looks on their faces they were accusing him too, he exclaimed, "I didn't take it, I swear!"

Sid and Sue knew that anytime a food item was missing, especially a cookie that it was likely taken by Tobey.

Nana came closer to the table, "It was one of my experimental magic cookies," she said softly so Barney and Mr. Wu wouldn't hear her.

"Tobey, just admit it!" Sue said.

Sue," Sid interrupted, "Maybe he didn't take it this time - he hasn't turned into anything or started drooling any more than usual."

"Did you hike your leg and pee on anything since you ate it?" Sue glared at him, referring to the time a cookie turned him into a dog and he did do that.

"No I swear, I didn't take it this time. Leave me alone!" Tobey put his phone in his pocket as he slid from the booth and stomped out to his bike to leave for school.

"Nana, are you sure that one of your cookies is missing?" Sue asked again when Tobey was gone.

"Yes Sue, I'm sure. I was so tired last night that I left them cooling on the cookie tray. Clearly this morning there is one missing."

"Could that big rat that Mr. Wu saw yesterday in the pantry have taken it?" Sid suggested.

"I don't know. I guess anything is possible," Nana concluded. "I'll go back down to the pantry and check for crumbs or any signs of rats. I hope Tobey didn't take it. No telling what would happen to him."

"Why Nana?"

"I was trying to make cookies that would make us some small Nian-like creatures that would be friendly and obedient, from insects only. I thought they could help us patrol Chinatown to keep watch for Kong Li."

"Yeah, it's strange we haven't seen Kong Li in a while," Sue added.

"It's been a few weeks, right Sue?" Sid asked. "Hey, Sis, we better get going to school too."

"Well kids, I guess that if Tobey had taken the cookie he would have shown some symptom right away, after he ate it. I should apologize to him when you three get home from school."

"Alright Nana," Sue said and followed Sid out to their bikes.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

After a long day at school Sid, Sue and Tobey did their homework when they first got home so it would be done before evening deliveries began. The three teens sat in their usual booth at Wu's Garden, talking and playing with their phones.

"Sue, Sid, you know I didn't take that cookie, right?" Tobey said suddenly.

Sid smiled mischievously intending to draw out Tobey's suffering, but right then Barney yelled from the kitchen, "Sid! Deliveries!"

"Right," Head hanging, Sid rose from the booth and went toward the kitchen.

Sid only made it out as far as his bike where he heard Barney yelling that more deliveries were ready.

Waiting for Sue and Tobey, Sid was going very slowly. His friends caught up fast and they rode together for a block until they had to split up.

"Meet you back at Wu's," Sue yelled as she left. The boys agreed. Sid stood up on his pedals to start up a hill and Tobey finger-combed his hair when the breeze blew through it.

"My hair look luscious, even in the wind." Tobey said and let his bike pick up speed all the way down the long hill. At the bottom he jumped a loading ramp. He skidded to a stop and cheered for himself.

Sue and Sid made their deliveries and raced back to Wu's Garden.

"Well, who won?" Sid asked when both of their front tires touched Wu's front door at the same time moving the door just enough to ring the bell.

"I'd say that was a tie - pure and simple." Sue answered.

Nana came out into the dining room when she heard the bell, expecting Tobey to be with Sue and Sid and not seeing him, she asked. "Where is Tobey?"

"We're supposed to meet here and he didn't have as far to go as we did. He must be taking the long way so he can jump the fish barrels at the wharf."

Sue was still guessing about where Tobey was when they heard screaming. Nana and Sue turned toward the garden together. Sue exclaimed, "That sounds like it's coming from the alley behind Wu's Garden!"

Sue and Nana ran down the hall toward the back door. Sid was right behind them yelling into his phone, "Tobey get here fast - we need you!" But there was no answer from Tobey.

In the Garden, Sue was the first to the back wall and opened the round gate that to the alley. She stepped out but stopped in her tracks. She yelled, "Aaaaah!" as an injured person ran into her.

Sid got to his sister's side just as the bleeding victim collapsed in her arms. He was a big man and Sid helped lower him to the ground. His head and legs were bleeding from several long lacerations.

With the victim sitting on the ground Nana kneeled next to him. She yelled, "Kids! Find out what did this to him! I'll tend to him and be right behind you."

"Right!" Sid and Sue said together and ran down the alley and out of sight where the victim had come from.

They didn't have to go far before they slid to a stop. Right in front of them a large hairy human-like creature with long fangs and red-glowing eyes also slid to a stop just before running into them.

Sid put his arms around Sue and turned her away when the creature swiped at her with long, clawed fingers. Sid saved Sue but put himself right in the way. He groaned loudly as claws shredded the back of his shirt and ripped open his skin.

In turn, Sue held on tightly to her brother to pull him away and as they fell she rolled with him, athletically winding up on top. She kicked up as hard as she could and her heel connected with the creature's snout.

The creature put it's great-clawed hand to its face and whined but still angry, lunged at them again as Sue tried to help Sid get away.

Sue thought they'd had it but a fireball came down the dark alley and exploded in the creature's face.

The creature stopped its attack and loped on all-fours to the nearest building and climbed up. Nana sent another fireball at it as she joined Sue and Sid but the creature disappeared around the corner of the building it clung to.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

"It's gone!" Sue exclaimed, " Lemme see you're back."

"I'm okay! What the hell was that?" Sid panted trying to catch his breath. He tried to turn so his sister couldn't see his back, but she held his arm to make him be still. Sid complied since he was feeling a mild wave of nausea and dizziness from the shock of being injured.

"Oh . . . maybe I'm not okay," he stated as he grabbed his sister's arm for support and collapsed back to the ground.

"No Sid, you're not okay - your back is pretty torn up - hold still." Sue held on tightly to her brother's arm with one hand to hold him still and lifted a corner of his torn shirt fabric to see four long lacerations down her brother's back. Blood was quickly forming pools in the cuts and running down his back.

Nana was there instantly.

"You'll be okay Sid - you were both lucky. I'm sorry I sent you both off alone! It is worse than I ever thought it could be!"

"Why - what was that creature, Nana?" Sue asked. Sue took off her biking shirt and waded it up under Sid's shirt to try and stop the bleeding. She stood up with him, keeping her hand on his back.

"That was a werewolf, kids. Come-on, we should get back and get Sid's injuries cleaned up."

"A werewolf - there is no such thing!" Sid exclaimed. "Although my back is killing me!"

"I'm afraid there is. All legends have at least some truth to them. We'll talk more and figure out what to do - don't worry."

Nana and Sue each took one of Sid's arms and helped him walk even though he insisted he didn't need help. Sue still kept her hand on his back, trying to apply pressure to a moving target.

Just as they got back to the round gate, Tobey met them, "You should have see the speed I got going down Lumbard Street! Um, what's going on?"

"There was a real, bona fide werewolf! I called your phone, grrrhg. . . " Sid groaned.

"Your hurt Sid! How'd ya let that happen?" Tobey asked, showing concern when he noticed that Sue and Nana were helping Sid come through the gate.

"The werewolf clawed him when he saved me! We really could have used your help-even if you're mad at us you should have come back to help."

"Sorry - I didn't hear anyone call me!" Tobey stammered, looking at his phone for missed calls.

Sue held her brother's arm and pressed on his back with her other hand all the way to the upstairs bathroom. Nana took over and went into the bathroom with Sid to help help him get cleaned up and bandaged.

Sue and Tobey waited outside the door for them to come out until Mr. Wu's booming voice could be heard, loudly yelling, "Deliveries!"

Sue slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She was tired and worried too. "I can't. I can't stand this." She rested her head on her knees.

"Don't worry Sue, I'll take the delivery," Tobey said and turned to walk away.

"Tobey, wait," Sue stopped him. "Nana thinks maybe rats in the pantry stole the magic cookie. We were gonna apologize for accusing you before all the ruckus started."

"It's okay - usually it is me, right?" Tobey smiled at her and turned to go take the last delivery of the night, alone.

It took an hour for Nana to get Sid cleaned up. Sue heard Sid groan loudly a few times as Nana treated his wounds with a salve that had chili sauce as one of the ingredients. She winced just hearing through the door that he was in pain.

After Nana used that salve he barely felt a few stitches going into the deepest cuts.

When they finally came out it was late and Barney was closing the restaurant. Nana told Sid and Sue to get some rest then asked, "Where's Tobey? I hope he made it back from his delivery."

Sid opened the bedroom door and saw the white patch of Tobey's hair shining in the hallway light. "He's in bed," Sid answered.

They went to their rooms and got in their beds too, except Nana. She stayed up researching in her books that she kept in her room. This time they weren't recipe books, but books about legends and monsters.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

Early Saturday morning, Sue and Tobey joined their Nana in her room but they let Sid sleep for as long as he wanted.

"Nana," Sue began, "I woke up with a terrible thought - if it was a werewolf that hurt Sid, won't he turn into one now?"

"No dear, the werewolf only clawed your brother," Nana answered without looking up from her book, "This says you have to be bitten and survive. A werewolf attack usually ends in death, but sometimes if it's looking for new pack members or a mate they will let a victim live after biting them."

"Awesome! I'll beat this thing!" Tobey volunteered excitedly.

"No Tobey - we must be very careful and stay together to find this monster. We must not let it kill or 'turn' anyone."

"You don't think that it already has killed or turned anyone else? This one may not even be the first one!" Sue pointed out.

"I don't think there have been any unexplained murders in Chinatown recently. If this is a werewolf of legend there is only one way to banish it from our world and that's with a silver bullet. I will get a gun and silver bullets, but you three are not allowed to touch it, right?"

"Yes, Nana." Sue and Tobey agreed.

"I will still find it first and tell you where it is, Nana." Tobey boasted.

"Tobey, we will work together to find the werewolf, but I will have to take care of this. I don't want any of you in harm's way again and none of you are to touch the gun or the bullets no matter what." Nana repeated.

They'd been in Nana's room looking through books for hours when Barney yelled from the kitchen, "Lunch deliveries!"

"I'll go!" Tobey jumped up, eager to hit the streets to look for the werewolf and also for his expected tip for delivering the food.

"Tobey! NO!" Nana spoke loudly, "Even though werewolves are not known to be out in the daylight, you will not go alone. Sue, go with him."

"But if there's a tip, I want it," Tobey grumbled.

"Fine, you can have it." Sue sighed.

"I'll see what I can find in this book," Nana waved her hand at a book lying on her bed. "I have a few more hours of research to do, then I will join you before dark. The werewolf will likely appear again tonight so we have to be ready."

Sue and Tobey left but soon after Sid stood in Nana's door rubbing his bed head. "Why did you let me sleep so long? Did I hear Barney yell that there are deliveries.?"

"Sue and Tobey can handle deliveries. You need your rest. Get something to eat and if you don't feel like being in bed anymore, help me look through these books."

"Alright Nana, I'll be right back." Sid agreed.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

It was a foggy, rainy Saturday day in Chinatown. When Sue caught up to him, she threw Tobey's rain jacket at him and it hit him right in his chest.

"You forgot to grab it, put it on," she said.

"Alright, but come on!" Tobey started pedaling. Riding with no hands like he often did, he put the light blue rain jacket on.

It wasn't raining right then, but the fog was so thick, they were wet in no time. Dusk came and Sue and Tobey were still making deliveries.

Nana was still in her room doing research. Sid helped for a while, but after Nana changed the bandages on his back, he had gone back to his bed for a nap. Nana checked on him frequently.

"So far the result of my research, a cure for werewolfism just doesn't exist." Nana said sounding tired.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

As instructed, Sue and Tobey usually stayed together, but sometimes there were just too many deliveries to make, and they had to split up to get the food delivered while it was still warm.

Mr. Wu ranted every time they saw him about how Sid wasn't helping but Calvin was afraid of his mother and would never go up to her room to demand that Sid came down to work.

Sue hoped Tobey wouldn't go off by himself and do anything stupid. Tobey hoped that Nana wouldn't find out he was by himself and try to stop him from doing the stupid thing he planned to do after dark.

Just at dark, Sue came through Wu's front door ringing the bell.

Barney popped out from behind the counter and said, "Welcome to Wu's Garden, what can . . . Oh, it's you Sue."

"Yeah, it's me," Sue sounded tired."Have you seen Tobey yet?"

"No."

"We were supposed to meet back here – I'm late, I wonder why he's even later," Sue said taking her phone out to call Tobey.

"He doesn't answer, but I see him. He's a block behind Wu's – but he's not moving."

"Whatdayamean?" Barney asked, only half interested, while he refilled condiments in the booths.

"His signal's not getting any closer. I better go find out what he's doing."

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

Tobey rounded the corner looking for any sign of the werewolf. He was about scared half out of his mind, but couldn't let the others know that. He would prove that he was the bravest and strongest, by finding the werewolf and telling Nana where to find it.

Tobey pedaled slowly down an alley a block behind Wu's Garden. All he knew was that they fought the werewolf in the alley, and it ran off in that direction.

Above Tobey, clinging under a fire escape platform was what he was looking for. The monster looked down at him with glowing eyes.

When Tobey got close enough, the werewolf pounced.

Seeing the fierce werewolf appear suddenly in front of him scared Tobey so badly that he froze and it jumped at him.

The weight of the monster slamming into him knocked him off his bike. His phone flew out of his pocket and skittered on the ground until it hit a curb. His bike went straight for a few feet before it fell over.

Tobey screamed and struggled.

The werewolf didn't hurt him but kept him pinned on his back.

"Get off! Lemme go!" Tobey screamed while kicking the werewolf's belly. The monster actually smiled a little, a feminine smile and forced Tobey to turn over with his belly in the gravel.

With a swipe of its clawed hand Tobey's bike helmet came off, the chinstrap scraped under his jaw as it went.

Tobey screamed again, terrified and feeling completely vulnerable since he couldn't even see the monster that held him down.

"AAAnnnn! What are you doing to me?"

While Tobey continued to struggle ineffectively the werewolf sniffed all over his back and in his hair. The sniffing got faster as the female werewolf got excited. She got down to Tobey's jeans and stuck her nose right in his butt.

"Hey! Back off! That's my personal space!" Tobey yelled, feeling very violated by the strange behavior. He barely got the words out, as the werewolf sunk her teeth into the back of his neck, through his shaggy hair that hung down.

The pain blinded Tobey. He thought the she-wolf would crush his neck. He screamed into the gravel. The werewolf held on, effectively keeping Tobey still, until he passed out. Then she picked him up and put him over her shoulder to climb back up the fire escape to the roof.

Below, Sue got off her bike when she saw Tobey's bike and helmet. With a quick glance around the area, Sue found Tobey's phone.

"Oh no . . . Tobey." Sue whispered while at the same time she quickly pushed Nana's quick-dial number.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

The she-wolf dropped Tobey unceremoniously to the rooftop and looked back down to the alley to see if she was being followed. She saw Sue below, but didn't give her much thought.

Tobey groaned softly like he was waking up and the she-wolf took him farther away from where his friend was looking for him below.

This time when the shewolf dropped him, Tobey landed on his hands and knees. He whined through his teeth as his body started to change under the newly risen full moon.

His fingers got longer and developed long sharp claws on the tips. His face and jaw elongated and long, canines grew. His whole body got bigger, shredding his clothes, and more muscular as a thick coat of fur covered his skin.

His fur was a warm, cinnamon brown and black in color, and there was no white on him anywhere, like there was when he used one of Nana's transformation cookies.

Now, as he roared and ran off with the she-wolf right behind him, nothing of his human, cute-boy remained. He was all animal.

Nana and Sid joined Sue in the alley. Sue cried, "I'm so sorry Nana! Mr. Wu had too many deliveries – I thought I could trust Tobey – but now something has happened to him and it's all my fault!"

"No time for blame now - what have you found?" Nana jumped right to the point.

Sue showed Nana Tobey's helmet and pointed at his bike. "Tobey would never leave his bike, willingly."

"You're right Sue. We'll spread out and look for him, but keep in close contact alright?"

"Yes, Nana." Sid and Sue said together and rode their bikes away. Athletically and quickly Nana climbed the nearest fire escape.

Quickly glancing around, Nana spotted several droplets of blood where the werewolf first dropped Tobey.

"Oh no, it is worse than I thought – the werewolf must have another victim - I pray that it isn't Tobey."

Nana used the fire-escapes between two buildings to jump between and back to the ground. She met up with Sid and Sue, and they looked for the werewolves or any more victims until dawn.

"We didn't find the werewolf and we didn't find Tobey either," Sue observed while she and her brother were heading back to Wu's.

"No, and I can't imagine where that dork might be! He better just be out goofing off someplace, and not in trouble." Sid said.

"Oh, I'm so worried about him, my stomach hurts." Sue rubbed her belly when she got off her bike behind Wu's Garden. They laid their bikes down near the koi pond and went inside.

Nana met them by the kitchen entrance.

Before she could say anything, Sue asked, "Did you hear from Tobey?"

"In a way," Nana replied smiling, "He's up in his bed sound asleep."

"Oh good." Sue sighed happily.

"That dork left us out all night looking for him? I'm gonna go pound him - just a little." Sid frowned and headed upstairs.

Sue followed him, "No Sid, don't bother him.

We'll find out what happened to him later. Let's just get some sleep before lunch time deliveries start."

"Alright, Sue. He's off the hook for now." Sid smiled. He had been as worried as Sue and was greatly relieved that Tobey was home.

Sid saw that on the upper bunk, Tobey looked as peaceful as ever and was snoring lightly.

They all slept soundly upstairs while Nana continued her research, with no rest in-between. No book she had, or even searching the Internet gave her a possible cure for werewolfism.

"I can't believe we might have to kill someone," Nana said to herself. "But I don't see any other way to save the people of Chinatown."

Nana took out the shiny new handgun she'd acquired sometime in the night from someone she'd prefer not to have to admit to knowing.

She looked in the revolver and saw it was already loaded with silver bullets.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

Just before Lunchtime on Sunday, Mr. Wu's booming voice yelled, "Deliveries!" and woke Sid, Sue, and Tobey out of a sound sleep.

As they left their rooms, Sue looked in on Nana and found her sleeping.

"Be quiet guys, no need to wake her," Sue whispered.

"Right. She was up all night too and before that she was researching. I don't remember the last time she slept," Sid whispered back.

Mr. Wu spoke loudly like he was yelling, like he always did. "This is a big order all going to the same place, Hurry and get going you slackers!"

The siblings were glad that they could ride together again, and maybe find out where Tobey had been all night.

Eager to get going, Tobey jumped on his bike and took off with the sack handles in his teeth. He hung the orders from his handlebars as he rode.

Sid and Sue frowned at each other as they got on their bikes. It didn't take them long to catch up with Tobey.

"Tobey, where were you last night?" Sid asked when he got his bike next to Tobey.

"Oh, sorry guys, I guess I lost track of time," Tobey answered, blushing, and acting a little nervous.

"We were up all night looking for you!" Sue scolded.

"Uh-oh, Nana too?" Tobey asked.

"Yes, Nana too," Sue said.

"Yeah, buddy," Sid said gently, "You were probably lucky that Nana was still taking a nap when we left – or you'd been punished big time."

"Okay, I'll tell you guys." Tobey began, "I didn't want to say anything because I knew I shouldn't have gone off alone."

"Why? What happened?" Sid asked, "You didn't find the werewolf did you?"

"No," Tobey shook his head for emphasis,

"That would have been awesome – I'da told you all right away."

"Then what?"

"I think I got mugged," Tobey said.

"No way buddy, really?"

"Yeah. When I woke up, I had a huge headache, and got a cut on the back of my neck." Tobey rubbed his neck right under his bike helmet while he spoke. "It's a scab now."

"Maybe you just crashed your bike," Sue suggested.

"I wish, but no." Tobey said, "I lost my phone, and thought I lost my bike – I was so happy to see my bike and helmet in the garden this morning that I couldn't wait to ride again."

"Tobey focus. What else happened?" Sue asked and gave him back his phone.

"Thanks, Sue!" Tobey rode with no hands while he pushed some buttons on the phone to see if they worked.

"Tobey!" Sid yelled to get his attention back.

"Okay, I'll tell you." Tobey blushed.

"Besides my stuff being gone, I woke up, um . . ."

"What?" Sid almost yelled.

"When I woke up, I was naked - I had to sneak back up to my room for clothes and I guess I fell asleep. My head hurt and I was exhausted."

"Wow, you really must have been mugged . . . but why would someone steal your clothes?" Sid asked.

"My clothes weren't stolen, just ripped apart into pieces so small they wouldn't cover . . . um . . . anything. Maybe it was just that guy, Will from school."

"Oh, I don't think that even he would think it funny to strip you naked and leave you alone downtown with a head injury." Sue said,

"You better let Nana look at your head when we get back."

"It's not really my head, more like my neck." Tobey corrected.

"How could you let someone sneak up on you like that?" Sid asked, scolding his friend, "I thought you were 'the dragon' of Kung Fu."

"NO, I'm the Nian!" Tobey argued, "But even a Nian can't be alert all the time."

"This is the place . . ." Sue interrupted, "let's get these delivered."

Fifteen bags in all went to the museum for a seminar on werewolves. It was open to the public, so the three teens stood in the back and listened for a while.

"Wow, this is weird that they'd be talking about this now," Sue said, "I wonder if more people have seen monsters?"

"So far, it's all been just like Nana said," Sid whispered after a few minutes. "There is no cure."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to kill it when we find it. I mean, it is human during the daytime. It'd be murder!" Sue said.

"Shhhh!" someone in the back row shushed her. She didn't realize her voice got louder until then.

"Come on guys," Tobey said, "let's get out of here. Nana knows all this stuff anyway, and museums are still boring."

When he went by the man who had shushed Sue, Tobey growled.

Sid touched Tobey's shoulder and whispered, "Down boy."

They boys laughed once out in the lobby area. They went quietly from there, trying to draw no more attention to themselves.

Out on the street, Tobey asked, "Do you guys really think that Nana will get a gun and shoot the werewolf when we find it?"

"I know that she doesn't want to, and is desperately looking for a cure or some other way to keep it from hurting anyone, but yeah, I think she will if she has to Sue answered.

The three rode back to Wu's without speaking. Traffic was heavier than usual, and there seemed to be a lot of people out on the street. As they rode, Sue noticed it first.

"Have you guys noticed that there are a lot of people wearing holsters, with guns?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, Sue." Sid answered, "I've seen three just in the last block."

"I smell gunpowder. Its smells just like fireworks, or Mr. Wu's grilled beef." Tobey sniffed the air with his eyes closed like he was concentrating.

Chuckling at Tobey's dig at Mr. Wu, Sid pointed, "Those two over there seem to be practicing to reload fast." Sid stopped to watch.

Tobey stopped next to him. He was growling softly, under his breath.

"Hey buddy, is that you growling?"

"Yeah, I guess I was." Tobey stopped growling but stared at the people wearing guns like they were the enemy.

"Sid," he said quietly, "Somethin' bad is gonna happen isn't it, Sid?" he asked nervously.

"Looks like it, though I can't imagine what it'll be," Sid agreed.

Tobey sniffed the air and reported, "Mr. Wu is making his spaghetti and tree fungus, frog leg stir-fry again."

"Were still blocks away. How could you possibly know that?" Sid asked, one eyebrow raised in doubt.

"I can smell it," Tobey answered.

"That's pretty stinky stuff, but there's no way you could smell it from here."

"Wanna bet my new comic book against your hand-held game, that's what he's making when we get there?"

"The risk isn't exactly the same, but there's no way you'll win so, you're on." Sid and Tobey pedaled back to Wu's, about a block behind Sue.

When they got back to Wu's, Tobey joined Sue in a booth. They waited while Sid went to the kitchen to see what was cooking. He was sure that Tobey was crazy since even from the dining room he couldn't smell what was cooking. Barney was at the stove stirring in a wok full of fried rice.

"Ha! See Tobey was wrong!" Sid exclaimed.

"Wrong about what, Sid?" Barney asked, while watching his rice.

"Tobey thought you were making spaghetti and tree fungus, frog leg stir-fry."

"No I'm making fried rice, but my dad just finished making some of that stinky stuff for himself. He's in his office eating it." Barney answered.

"What the? How could Tobey know?" Sid sighed. He went back to the dining room and slide in, next to his sister.

"Well?" Tobey said.

"You were right - Mr. Wu made some just before we got here."

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

Nana called the three up to her room and when they got there they were all surprised. Sid and Sue didn't know if it was a good surprise or a bad one. Sue decided bad, but Tobey was excited. Nana gave Sid, Tobey and Sue each, a very shiny long-bladed knife in a sheath.

Sid and Sue pulled theirs out just an inch and slid it back in to listen to Nana. Tobey took his out all the way and sliced the air in front of him with it.

"Tobey, put that away!" Sid scolded him.

"These are silver knives. I read that they can be effective against werewolves. They are unlikely to kill a werewolf but may protect you." Nana explained.

"Awesome! I thought you weren't gonna let us carry weapons." Tobey smiled like he'd just got a new video game.

"Kung Fu will help but it may not save your lives alone. Tobey, I want you to realize how serious this may be."

"I know Nana." Tobey sighed.

"You three may have to kill to protect yourselves or someone else and when you're out there on the streets, you may see someone else killed. You have to keep your wits about you and remember your training no matter what is going on."

"But . . ." Tobey started to boast, but Sue elbowed him in the ribs.

"I expect you three to protect yourselves, each other and anyone else who may be around. It breaks my heart, but I expect you to do whatever it takes. I am sad that if you see someone killed or have to kill the werewolf yourselves that you will be changed forever."

"Changed how?" Tobey asked.

"You will have lost your innocence." Nana said softly, sadly. Her eyes looked wet when she looked at them.

"Sunday night, tonight is the night of the true, full moon." Nana pulled herself together and sounded very business-like.

"Tobey! Listen. You sure you three stay together tonight – no excuses."

Enthusiastically Sid and Sue answered, "Yes!"

Tobey answered less enthusiastically, but agreed.

It wasn't long before Mr. Wu started calling them for deliveries. Mei Hua didn't tell him everything but did tell him that she wanted his three delivery kids to stay together that night and he wasn't happy about it. It was like his three, had become one, even though they were all three working.

"They will have to split their tips three ways – I hope they don't expect me to pay them any extra!" Calvin yelled.

"Barney," he yelled just after sending Sid, Sue and Tobey out on one delivery. "Get your bike out of the shed in the garden. You will have to help!"

"But dad, it has flat tires, I haven't ridden it in years."

"Do it anyway!" Mr. Wu grabbed his hair like he would pull it out, "This is the beginning of restaurant failure!"

After making the delivery, Sid stopped and the others stopped with him at a curb.

"Whats up, Bro?" Sue asked.

"I want to be sure that we all have our GPS turned on and we can see each other."

"Okay, mine's on," Tobey said. On all three phones there were three small dots together on the little maps of Chinatown.

"Okay, good. No sneaking off this time Tobey."

"Yeah right. I'll stay with you guys in case you need protection from the werewolf or Kong Li."

"What would we do without you?" Sue said sarcastically and they started riding again for Wu's.

Tobey rode with no hands. He took the silver knife out of sheath and started cutting air again.

"Tobey!" Sue looked back and saw what he was doing. "Put that away! And pray you don't have to ever take it out again."

"But it's so cool! It's the first time Nana has trusted us with weapons." Tobey watched the red, orange light from the setting sun, shining on the blade.

"He's right Sue," Sid said, "I hope we have time during training to practice with them."

"She hopes we never have to use them, but if we do, I'm confident that I can use it effectively, aren't you? It's a pretty simple tool."

"Sue, the fun killer," Tobey said as he rode past them, still playing with the knife. "I want to learn how to handle it in a martial arts display that will dazzle the werewolf before I cut him down."

"Tobey! Put that away, before I take it away from you!" Sid scolded.

"You'll have to catch me first." Tobey cried and stood up to pedal faster.

"Tobey, NO! I don't wanna race!" Sue yelled.

"Come back here!" Sid yelled, " – and if you crash with that knife out, it could be really bad!"

"Chickens!" Tobey kept going. Sid and Sue had to chase if they were going to stay together like Nana told them. The siblings looked at each other frowning, as they stood up to pedal faster themselves.

Ahead they saw Tobey take a corner, very fast and go down an alley out of sight.

"Tobey," Sid growled. He kept going but took out his phone with one hand. The screen showed two dots together, and one way out front and still moving fast.

"Dammit!" Sid cursed, "I don't wanna play after dark when there's a werewolf out!"

"Come on Sid, we can catch Tobey." Sue said encouraging her brother.

They pedaled around the same corner but didn't see Tobey ahead. This time Sue took out her phone as she rode. She fell a little behind Sid.

"It shows he is just ahead of us and has stopped."

"Good," Sid answered, "He must be waiting for us."

The siblings kept going until Sid checked the GPS on his phone again.

"Whoa! Sis, my screen shows that we've passed him."

"What? Was he hiding back there or something?" Sue panted.

"I don't see how we could have missed him." Sid said, already heading back. Sue turned her bike around and quickly caught up to him. After ways, Sid stopped.

"Stop Sue, now my GPS says that were passing him again." Sid looked around, and there in front of a dumpster, was Tobey's phone. His bike was laying on its side, just behind the dumpster.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

"Oh no! NOT AGAIN - But where is he?" Sue asked, not expecting an answer from Sid, "Nana's gonna kill us!"

"Tobey couldn't have . . .," Sid stopped himself, "No, he couldn't have run into the werewolf already we'da heard something."

There was a plastic cracking sound above them and they looked up to see Tobey's helmet bouncing down the fire escape behind the grocery store. With one more bounce, it landed in the alley behind them.

"Why would he have gone up there?" Sid said.

"And a better question, why would he take off his bike helmet and drop it from up there."

"Maybe he's not going willingly." Sid and Sue jumped off their bikes, athletically, jumped up to the lowest ladder rung on the old, rusty fire escape and climbed quickly.

When they got to the roof, they were a little out of breath, and very disappointed because they didn't see Tobey anywhere.

"Sue, where do you think he went?"

"I don't want to even say it out loud. We better tell Nana what's happening. She will join us and we will find Tobey, alive and well."

"He better be, so I can kill him." Sid sighed.

Sid called Nana and conferenced Sue into the call. He told Nana what happened. Sid sounded furious but Nana and Sue knew he was just scared for Tobey.

"Alright Sid, calm down," Nana said, "I'll be right there. You and Sue stay together at least. Isn't the grocery store open?"

"Yeah, the lights are on." Sue said.

"Good. Go inside and wait for me with Mr. Wang, and don't tell him what we're doing."

"Right Nana, if there's one thing we've learned is not to tell anyone what we're up to."

"Good – hang in there, kids." Nana encouraged them, "We'll find Tobey."

Nana left Wu's on foot. She went down the sidewalk for two blocks then up a fire escape to travel by rooftop to meet up with Sid and Sue.

On the building's roof right next to Wang's grocery store, Nana saw something blue at the corner of the rooftop and slid to a stop to get a better look. The blue color was from Tobey's blue shirt, torn to shreds and scattered across the corner of the roof.

"What could have happened?" Nana spoke out loud to herself. "It's like Tobey might have been attacked but his body is not here and there is no blood." Nana pressed a piece of her son's ripped shirt to her cheek.

"That could only mean he was attacked, but survived."

Nana began to cry with deep sorrow over what she thought she had to do. "To protect Chinatown, I will have to kill Tobey." she sobbed.

"Oh, this is terrible. Tobey would have been better off if he'd died after the werewolf's attack. He is kind and gentle and would never want to hurt anyone – why did this have to happen to him?" Nana shouted to the heavens.

"There is nothing I can do to save him now." Nana spoke slowly, "It IS as bad as I thought it might be."

Nana reluctantly climbed down the closest fire escape and entered Wang's grocery store. Sid and Sue were waiting near the front door.

Mr. Wang saw Mei Hua and greeted her happily, "Mei Hua! It's a pleasure to see you. You and your charges are out late aren't you?"

"Yes, Mr. Wang," Nana said.

"Call me Tom, please." Mr. Wang winked at Nana.

"Thank you for letting Sid and Sue wait for me here, Tom. We must be going now."

"Its good i was here late - a truck driver brought a late delivery. It has to be unloaded and put away tonight."

"Yes Tom, thank you again, Goodnight," Nana said.

"Goodnight, Mei Hua." Mr. Wang said with a lilt in his voice that could only be love.

Outside, with only a silent signal from Mei Hua, Sid and Sue followed her back up the fire escape on the building next door.

First thing when the reached the rooftop, Nana made them show her that they still had the silver knives. Sid and Sue pulled out the knives to show her. They had them in sheaths tucked down the back of their pants.

"Kids . . . I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but Tobey's been attacked by the werewolf."

"Nana, no, how could it be – Tobey's too fast!" Sid argued. Tears welled up in Sue's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, but I believe it has turned him." Nana answered. She showed them Tobey's torn clothes.

"I'm afraid that now we have two werewolves to hunt, and we may have to split up. I want to be sure you are ready to use the knives if you need to."

"No . . ." Sue hesitated, afraid of the answer, "You don't mean for us to use these against Tobey, do you?"

"If he's still alive. Then the werewolf has turned him and there is no cure. We have to do whatever it takes to protect the people of Chinatown. I don't see any other way."

"But there has to be another way – we can't. . . we just can't kill Tobey!" Sid argued.

"As I said, there is no cure. I know that Tobey would never want to hurt others. Do you think he could live with himself?"

"No, he wouldn't ever want to hurt someone else . . . but there has to be another way!" Sue insisted.

"I would love to find another way, but as of right now, we only have one option. I told you that this experience would change you, and I hadn't realized how much."

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

Something moved along the dark skyline and it caught Nana's attention. She looked passed Sid and Sue, briefly before instructing, "Get down."

She didn't wait and pulled Sue and Sid down with her as she crouched low to the rooftop.

In the distance, they could see two dark figures running and jumping from one rooftop to the next and coming toward them.

The She-wolf and Tobey-wolf loped along the rooftops, playing like puppies. Sometimes when they came to the edge of a rooftop, they'd pause and look down to see if there was anyone out in the middle of the night that might make a good snack.

Tobey-wolf looked down in the loading dock behind Wang's and saw two workers unloading a truck. As quickly as he glanced at them, he growled at his new friend to challenge her to jump to the next roof before him and the thought humans being below left his mind.

His jump across was strong and graceful, but when he landed, the she-wolf tackled him and bit his neck, in play but obviously wanted his attention. She prodded him to walk back to the edge of the roof by nipping and pushing on his sides with her head.

Tobey-wolf realized what she was doing and looked down again at the humans. A wicked, canine toothy grin washed his elongated face and he growled.

The she-wolf lead the way jumping and bouncing between buildings until they were street level and just in front of the truck being unloaded, where the humans wouldn't see them until the werewolf-couple was ready.

The next time the two workers returned to the truck through the large doors, they saw that they had monstrous company.

Tobey-wolf stood on one side of the trailer, and his new partner stood on the other. They both stood up on human-like, long legs, but were obviously not human. With a shriek-growl from the she-wolf, they leaped at the workers.

Sid and Sue jumped down from a ledge above the loading dock with their knives drawn.

They landed right in front of the workers to protect them but only seeing more pray, the werewolves still attacked vigorously.

Sid and Sue couldn't tell the werewolves apart so tried not to hurt either one. Their kindness only hurt their chances of saving the workers and themselves.

The first werewolf swiped at Sue with a large clawed hand. Sue dodged and when the monster swiped at her again Sue slashed at her with the knife, cutting the bottom of her paw. The wound steamed in the cold night air and the werewolf shrieked in pain and at least temporarily stopping her attack.

Sid didn't know but he was fighting Tobey but like Sue, he didn't want to hurt the werewolf, just in case. Rather than use the knife, Sid tried a round kick to the creature's snout.

It only excited Tobey-wolf to have his pray try to fight back and he lunged at Sid.

Sid landed on his back with Tobey-wolf on top of his chest. His claws sunk into Sid's ribs on both sides. The silver knife flew from Sid's hand and skittered across the loading dock.

Seeing her brother pinned on his back and unarmed, Sue ignored the she-wolf and lunged at the werewolf that was attacking Sid.

In her effort to protect her brother she shoved the blade deep in the werewolf's side near the wolf's back. It sounded like frying meat in a skillet and smelled of burning hair.

Tobey-wolf roared, faltered and fell sideways off of Sid trying to reach his wound with his teeth to bite what was hurting him but he couldn't reach.

In pain he rolled off of the loading dock, and the knife fell out.

As it turned out, Tobey-wolf fell just in time to avoid a silver bullet fired from Nana's gun. The bullet missed Tobey-wolf but struck the she-wolf in the belly as she was pouncing at Sue.

Tobey-wolf stood up growling. He took a last swipe at Nana as he jumped back up to the ledge and then to the roof. He was slowed down a bit from his wound.

Nana fired at him but missed as he went out of sight onto a rooftop. Seeing the werewolf leaving, Sid let his head fall back to the concrete.

Sue ran to her brother, crying, "Sid, are you alright?" Sue tried to sit him up without waiting to hear his answer.

"No. I'm pretty sure that I felt the werewolf's claws. I think I'm bleeding."

Feeling faint Sid laid back and Sue guided him gently to lie back down on his back.

"Where's the other one?" Sid whispered just loud enough for Sue to hear.

So she could see if he was wounded Sue was unzipping his mustard-yellow biking shirt while she answered, "It's down. Nana shot it."

Sid rose up on one elbow to see. Nana was beside the dock and next to her was the body of a werewolf.

"But it might be . . ." Sid whispered to Sue.

"I know," Sue acknowledged, "But Nana had to do it, right?"

Nana gently stroked the creature's fur. Suddenly, horribly there was a flash of familiar blue light and lying in the werewolf's place was a girl, fighting to draw a breath.

"OH Honey! I'm so sorry," Nana whispered to her.

"What happened?" The girl said, "It hurts!"

"You probably don't remember," Nana whispered. "I wish I wouldn't."

Her research took her to an ancient writing, that said when a werewolf is killed, it returns briefly to what it once was, so she wasn't completely surprised.

Nana was upset about shooting any living thing even a werewolf but when it changed back into a human girl – Nana felt devastated.

She had been worried that Sid or Sue saw her her shoot Tobey. She was expecting to see that she had shot her foster-son, but was confused when she felt a little relieved that it wasn't him.

Nana was so upset, she could hardly think, but she was trying to remember where she'd seen that blue light – several times before. It looked magical.

Sid groaned as he got up with Sue's help, but clenched his jaw and went over to Nana. The siblings were more surprised than Nana to see a human girl lying on the ground.

"Nana, who is this?" Sid asked.

Sue helped him sit on the edge of the dock, and hopped down next to Nana. Sue took her biking shirt off and covered the wounded girl with it as best as she could since her clothes were missing.

"Um – I don't know – but I . . . shot her."

Now Nana felt like she had to sit down.

Sue took her phone out and called 911 for an ambulance. She knew the police would come too.

"Nana, maybe you should go – we'll tell them we just found her. Maybe they can save her?"

"No, I must stay here and take whatever consequences there are."

"But Nana, we need you – we can't handle this alone – unless you want to give me the gun - in case I – in case I have to shoot the other werewolf." Sue said.

"You're right, Sue. My responsibility is to you three, first. When this is settled and Chinatown is safe, I'll turn myself in to the police to face justice."

Sue gave Nana a quick hug and squeezed her hand. Nana helped Sid walk and they got away through the alley behind the grocery store.

Sue sat back down by the girl to wait. The girl seemed to be breathing and was relatively calm. Sue thought maybe she could tell her what happened.

"So, um – how did you become a werewolf, anyway?"

"What do you mean? I'm just a girl – and I don't remember how I got here."

"Do you remember your name?" Sue asked.

"It's Jenny."

"What do you remember last?"

"I was home doing homework, who are you?"

"My name's Sue. I work at Wu's Garden."

"Oh, that place with no safe – no money and no valuables!" Jenny said. "I remember, I tried to rob that restaurant two nights ago – and all I got for my trouble was a stupid cookie. It didn't even taste good."

"You're the one who took the cookie?"

Sue's realization was drowned out by an ambulance siren. Sue stayed with Jenny until they loaded her the ambulance. With the newly found information about the stolen cookie, and having seen the blue transformation lights herself, Sue tried to call Nana or Sid but when she couldn't reach them, she ran back to Wu's as fast as she could.

"Why don't you two answer your phones?"

Sue yelled breathlessly when she found her family in the garden at Wu's.

Nana patted her pocket, "I'm sorry dear, I guess I lost mine." She spoke solemnly, and like she was not really paying attention. Her thoughts were still focused on what she'd done.

Sid felt for his and pulled it out. Holding up a phone with a large hole in it, he said, "My phone took a claw for me."

"Are you okay, Bro?" Sue asked, remembering that he had been injured again.

"Yeah, it's not so bad, not as bad as that first night when that girl werewolf got me across the back, but why did you come in all excited and happy."

"Oh yeah, Nana – there may be hope for Tobey! What if this is the missing magic fortune cookie that has caused all this?"

"I've considered that Sue. But still, I shot that innocent young girl."

"That girl isn't so innocent. She tried to rob Wu's Garden. She's the one who ate the cookie."

"Stealing a isn't so bad that she deserved to be shot for it! Besides, she couldn't have known they were from a magic recipe."

"That's not the point Nana. Don't you see, if Jenny was turned into a monster by a cookie, then its magic and she's not a real werewolf!"

Nana was still quiet, brooding over what had happened.

"Nana!" Sid said loudly, "Doesn't this mean that there is hope for Tobey? Can't you come up with an antidote?"

"I wish more than anything that it is true kids, but we just don't really know. If Jenny only ate one of my cookies, how could Tobey have been turned into a monster, too?"

"I don't know," Sid admitted.

"The other werewolf traits of legend, like vulnerability to silver seem to work. Maybe this time, your magic gave Jenny the power to turn Tobey too, by biting him."

"Tobey never mentioned anything odd happening, especially being bitten." Sid pointed out.

"But he wouldn't remember – Jenny didn't know." Sue argued. "Nana, don't you have to at least try to fix this with magic?"

"Yes, Sue. I will try, for Tobey's sake, and Jenny too if she lives."

"Either way Nana, you had to do it!" Sue tried to console her.

Nana didn't feel any better about the situation, but went to her room to find an antidote with the help of her books.

{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}

Tobey Continued . . .


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 **One of My Cookies is Missing**

 **a Three Delivery fic**

 **by Crystalquirt**

 **Requested by**

 **silverheartlugia2000**

 **Profile: u/3218369/**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Monday morning before dawn, Tobey woke up face down in an alley. He rolled onto his side and looked down at himself to see why he was cold.**

 **"Wow, I've really been hard on my clothes this week," he mumbled when he saw that he was naked again, "Maybe I should start carrying an extra pair of pants, at least."**

 **When Tobey tried to get up, the pain he experienced made him whine through his teeth and sink back down to the ground.**

 **Groaning, he reached for what hurt and his hand found a cold, wet place on his back near his right side. When he saw his blood on his hand, he groaned and felt just a little sick to his stomach. Tobey tried a little harder to get up.**

 **"Oh, ouch - what happened to me this time?" Tobey whined and looked around for his bike.**

 **"I guess if my clothes are gone again my bike might as well be gone again. I hope the others found my bike and helmet and took them home again. Although, I wish they would find me. I don't even have my phone - it's in my pants, where ever my pants are."**

 **Tobey took the lids off of two nearby garbage cans. With one lid in front and one behind, he made his way to Wu's Garden through alleys and resident's backyards.**

 **In a short time, during his journey, Tobey stopped to lean on a parked car. "My - back feels like it's on fire," he mumbled breathlessly.**

 **Tobey went only another twenty yards and stopped again behind the donut shop.**

 **He leaned on a fence for a moment before he pushed on. By the time he got home, he was feeling weaker from the pain in his back that was only getting more intense with so much exercise. Tobey entered Wu's Garden through the garden gate instead of the front door.**

 **When Tobey put the garbage lids down, he saw that the one he held over his backside had blood on it. Tobey tried to feel his back again. He got more slimy blood on his hand.**

 **"Ew . . . I musta had one awesome bike crash. I'm sure Nana can fix me up though. I hope my bike is okay."**

 **Without anyone at Wu's seeing him, he went downstairs to the laundry room. All he could find was a pair of Sid's black jeans that were in accidentally with a load of Sue's clothes.**

 **Now that Tobey was home and felt safe, the adrenaline that kept him going was wearing off.** **Tobey leaned on the wall to catch his breath, just before he slipped past the kitchen.**

 **Scrubbing the rice cooker at the sink, and with his back turned Barney had the kitchen radio on and was singing at the top of his lungs. He wouldn't have seen Tobey sneak by the door even if Tobey danced by disguised as a monkey.**

 **Once he got past the kitchen, Tobey had to stop and lean on the wall until a wave of intense pain eased a little. He left a streak of blood on the wall by the closet door when he started toward the dining room.**

 **There were no customers, thankfully, but Sue and Sid were sitting in a booth making plans to go out and look for him again.**

 **Tobey took a deep breath and prepared to sneak. Tobey wanted to get to his room and get his clothes at least before anyone saw him.**

 **The pants he wore were so big on his skinny hips that he was holding a fist-full of fabric in his hand.**

 **Sue glanced up and saw Tobey. She gasped with surprise and joy at seeing him and poked Sid to made him look. Grinning from ear to ear, the siblings ran at Tobey.**

 **"Tobey!" Sue yelled. "I'm so glad to see you!" She grabbed him for a hug.**

 **Tobey didn't return the hug since he needed one hand to hold up the borrowed pants and with the other hand, he was leaning on the wall so he wouldn't fall over on Sue. He groaned softly when she squeezed him.**

 **The hug hurt his back so badly that he saw stars before his eyes, but he didn't try to pull away. Every bit of the pain was worth a hug from Sue. Tobey managed a weak smile.**

 **"Me too, man! I'm happy to see you - I thought you were gone for good!" Sid said, ruffling Tobey's hair.**

 **"Why would I be gone? I wouldn't leave you guys," Tobey gritted his teeth at the pain he felt, "but why didn't anyone come find me?"**

 **"We looked for you until daylight, and found you once – but you ran away from us – you weren't yourself . . ." Sid started to explain.**

 **When Sue let go, Tobey wobbled and started to fall forward. Sid caught him, and fortunately, caught him in such a way as to have kept his friend's borrowed pants from falling. "I didn't run away from you. I didn't even see you guys." Tobey argued.**

 **Sid practically carried Tobey to the nearest booth and sat him down.**

 **Sid climbed over the back of the booth to sit between Tobey and the wall.**

 **When he noticed, Sid complained, "Hey, those are MY pants!"**

 **Sue looked at her arm after she hugged Tobey and saw it was wet with Tobey's blood.**

 **"Tobey!" She said and went around behind him so she could see his back, "Oh - I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you so badly! Sid, his wound is terrible – it looks much worse on his human body than it looked with fur around it."**

 **"Yeah, but I don't think it's bleeding now," Sid said. "I'll get the first-aid kit. He climbed back out of the booth and went to the kitchen to get the first aid kit.**

 **"Fur? What do you mean Sue? You couldn't have hurt my back." Tobey was confused.**

 **Puzzled, Tobey watched Sue slide back into the seat across from him and continued, "I just must have crashed my bike again. It's the only explanation."**

 **"Don't you remember anything that's happened to you in the last couple of nights?" Sue asked.**

 **"I was kinda afraid to say anything," Tobey spoke softly, leaning with both elbows on the table. Tobey arched his back and put his head back, trying to get more comfortable, but his stretching only made his back hurt more.**

 **"Agggghnnn," Tobey groaned.**

 **"I don't remember," he continued, "except that for the last two mornings, I wake up somewhere downtown, with no clothes and no bike, just as the sun comes up."**

 **"We've been up all night, both nights, looking for you," Sid said. Sid kneeled in the booth behind Tobey to reach the wound on his back. He had a clean washcloth, damp with hot water and the first aid kit.**

 **Sue moved to sit next to Tobey in case she could help. Sid started as gently as he could cleaning the blood from his friend's back.**

 **"Ow – that's hot!" Tobey complained and arched his back like he would try to get away, but Sue had him blocked in.**

 **"Let Sid clean you up. You've been, um . . . Sick, Tobey." Sue began.**

 **"Not really Sue, I must have crashed my bike and got a couple of sore spots. My back hurts this time, but I'm fine."**

 **"You're not fine," Sid instructed, "Just listen to Sue."**

 **"Agnnnn!" Tobey groaned, arching his back when Sid got closer to the knife wound.**

 **"Sorry, Tobey - I don't want to hurt you. Maybe I should let Nana do this." Sid started to put the washcloth down.**

 **"No Sid, it's okay you won't hurt me - I want you to do it." Tobey braced himself for Sid to continue.**

 **"Remember that night when a cookie was missing, and Nana thought you took it?" Sue said.**

 **"You guys thought I did it too, but I didn't take it!" Tobey felt accused all over again, and a groan escaped through his teeth when Sid got to a new place to clean.**

 **"I didn't mean that," Sue said, "We know you didn't take the cookie. We found out who did."**

 **"After you went to school that morning," Sue, continued, "Sid and I chased what looked to be a werewolf of legend, remember?"**

 **"Yeah, we were all going to fight it later, but I never got to. I even lost the silver knife Nana gave me."**

 **"We know Tobey, but Sid, Nana and I have still been hunting the werewolf all night. And now there are two werewolves."**

 **"Two werewolves? That's awesome! How come you didn't let me come with you? We'll get some good rest today and go look for them tonight. I bet I can take them both on."**

 **"Wait up Tobey, let us finish telling you," Sue said.**

 **"Okay." he answered sadly like she just took all the fun out of his life.**

 **"Did Nana tell you, that a werewolf can turn another human into a werewolf, by biting them, and not killing them?"**

 **"I guess . . . But Sid got all cut up – Wait! Is Sid the second werewolf?" Tobey looked concerned when he turned and looked at Sid still behind him. Sid was cutting and folding a long strip of gauze to cover Tobey's wound.**

 **"No, Sid wasn't bitten. But you were," Sue answered.**

 **"Sue, no way. I'd remember if that happened. I never even found the werewolf," Tobey argued.**

 **"You did find it," Sue began.**

 **"Or it found you," Sid added.**

 **Sue continued, "People who change don't remember."**

 **"I still don't see why you think I'm a werewolf? I could never be."**

 **"We know you'd never hurt anyone if you could help it. But you're not in control buddy," Sid tried to say kindly.**

 **"Shut up Sid, I'm strong, and I'm always in control."**

 **"Feel your back, Tobey." Sid took his hand and guided it to the wound, now bandaged.**

 **"So? I hurt myself somehow when I crashed my bike," Tobey said like he was annoyed, but he was becoming fearful.**

 **"When you were a werewolf you attacked us, buddy. This is where Sue stabbed you with the silver knife," Sid said.**

 **"No way. Why would you have to stab me? No matter what I'm doing?" Tobey questioned.**

 **"Yes way, if you'd been human, that would have killed you." Sue tried to explain. "I didn't know for sure if you were Tobey, but you were hurting Sid, and I had to protect him."**

 **"You say you had to protect Sid from me?" Tobey repeated, not wanting to believe it.**

 **Sid slid out of the booth and stood by Tobey, pulling up his shirt to show tobey the new wounds on either side of his chest.**

 **"When you were a werewolf the knife barely slowed you down," Sue explained. "But it did stop your attack on Sid."**

 **"I would never! Why are you saying these things to me? I would never attack Sid or anyone except maybe Kong Li."**

 **"Feel the back of your neck Tobey. You'll find four scabbed wounds. That is where the werewolf girl bit you – it's how you were 'turned.'" Sue explained.**

 **"If that were all true, I'd remember!" Tobey argued.**

 **"No, you wouldn't Tobey," Sue said. "Jenny became a werewolf after eating the cookie she stole and then she turned you, and she didn't remember anything."**

 **"Tobey, think about it." Sid tried to explain, "You black out because you become a werewolf at night. Do you have another explanation for what's been happening to you?"**

 **"Not yet, but I just can't have hurt anyone, especially you guys!" Tobey insisted. "There has to be another reason for all this."**

 **"Oh Tobey, I wish there was . . ." Sue said, brushing his bangs from his eyes.**

 **Ignoring Sue's touch for the first time, ever, Tobey put his head down on the table, between his arms.**

 **"My dad hurts people, Kong loser. Not Me!" he groaned.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Sid finished taping the bandage in place quickly, while Tobey was holding still.**

 **Sue noticed Nana coming down to the dining room with a smile on her face for the first time in days. She had a knitted shawl draped around her shoulders and carried a book.**

 **"Hey Nana," Sue called, just as Sid climbed over the back of the booth to sit down.**

 **"Nana, Tobey's hurt pretty bad," Sid said,**

 **"I know dears, but he'll be okay."**

 **Tobey looked up quickly, "Nana – No – It can't be true – They're lying to me, right?"**

 **"Sorry, Tobey. You don't think Sid and Sue would lie to you about something so important, do you?" Nana said, still smiling.**

 **"No, I never thought so." Tobey put his head down again, so they wouldn't see the tears welling up in his eyes. He was exhausted and in pain and now, very scared.**

 **"I can't go on like this!" Tobey stated, simply.**

 **"Don't worry, my son," Nana said and put the book on the table so she could put the shawl she'd been wearing around Tobey.**

 **Smiling, she sat down across from Tobey and patted the book.**

 **"It was very hard to find, but this book tells of a plant called Monkshood. It can be used as a repellant or a suppressant for a werewolf's instincts, meaning a werewolf will retain his human self and not think like a werewolf even though he may still change and . . ."**

 **"But, I don't want to be repelled – or stay a werewolf – only to know what's happening to me! That would be awful!" Tobey whined, interrupting Nana.**

 **"You did not let me finish speaking, Tobey. It can also be used as a cure."**

 **"That's great!" Sue sighed.**

 **Tobey wasn't convinced. His mind was spinning. He was still very frightened to think that he'd become a werewolf and hurt his family and worse yet, it was going to happen again.**

 **He put his forehead back down on the table.**

 **"Here Tobey," Nana began, "Take this tea in small sips. It will help you be more comfortable and will also prevent infection in your wound. You three will not be going to school today or several days."**

 **Tobey sat up, his eyes red and wet from crying.**

 **"Oh man," Sid said when he saw his friend's face. "Come on Buddy - we'll go upstairs so you can lay down to wait until the tea helps with your pain."**

 **But it wasn't the physical pain he felt that was making his tears come.**

 **Sid stayed with Tobey all the way to his room to help him walk, and Sue carried his hot tea for him. They left Nana sitting at in the booth reading, and she was using her mobile phone to find where she could get Monkshood in a hurry.**

 **"Oh Tobey," Nana whispered, "The moon will still be full enough tonight that you may turn again. I have to hurry."**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **"Here buddy," Sid said," do you want to lie down here on my bed? It'll be easier than climbing."**

 **"No, thanks, I can make it," Tobey said. He slowly, painfully climbed the ladder and sat in the middle of his bed. Sid stayed closely behind him, just in case he might fall.**

 **Tobey was wobbly and looked even weaker than when he first came home. Sid handed him his tea and stood on the bottom rung of the ladder to talk to him. Sue went back down the stairs to help Nana find out more about helping Tobey.**

 **Barney and Mr. Wu were banging around in the kitchen, getting ready to open for lunch.**

 **After Nana and Sue had spent three hours in the booth studying, the lunch crowd finally started coming in.**

 **Nana went with Sue back up to the boy's room and found Sid had climbed on his lower bunk and fallen asleep too. Nana stood on the ladder and checked on Tobey.**

 **After she had checked him over, Nana and Sue moved quietly into the hallway.**

 **"Tobey is resting comfortably as far as I can tell, Sue." Nana said, "Sid fell asleep too."**

 **"Can I make Sid some of the tea that you gave Tobey? Some of his wounds were deep." Sue asked.**

 **"Of course Sue, you know where the recipe is. Stay out of Calvin's way, and he will think you are doing something for me and won't bother you to do anything for him."**

 **"Where are you going, Nana?"**

 **"I have to find the Monkshood quickly and get back to make it for Tobey before tonight. I couldn't find anything locally, So I will catch a ride with a friend and be gone a little longer than I'd hoped."**

 **Nana instructed, "You make sure the boys do not leave, the moment I get back, and the antidote is ready I will want to give Tobey some."**

 **Sue went down to the pantry and quickly put together the ingredients for the tea. She used a corner burner on the stove in the kitchen to boil water, and even Barney didn't seem to notice what she was doing.**

 **There was a customer on the phone who was yelling at him, mad because there was shellfish in his Shrimp fried rice. Barney looked nervous while the customer was yelling at him. Mr. Wu was in his office, 'exercising.'**

 **Sue went back upstairs to wait for the water to boil. She sat in the hallway where she could see the boys if they came out.**

 **Nana left through the garden and wasn't seen by Calvin or Barney either.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **In a few minutes Sue finished Sid's tea and knocked quietly on the boy's bedroom door. There was no answer so she opened the door slowly. She could tell by their breathing that Sid and Tobey were sound asleep.**

 **Sue kneeled by Sid's bunk and woke him gently. "Here Bro, just wake up long enough to sip on this. It's the same tea that Nana made for Tobey, for pain and infection.**

 **"Thanks, Sis," Sid whispered and drank the warm tea down.**

 **It wasn't long before Sid went back to sleep and Sue went to her room. She set up her phone in the hallway so she could use it to watch the boy's door on her computer while she did some research on her own.**

 **Nana appeared outside Sue's window, and she jumped up to let her come inside.**

 **"You were gone for three and a half hours! Did you find it, Nana?" Sue asked urgently.**

 **"Yes, I have the monkshood, but there isn't long. We only have about an hour and a half left before dark."**

 **"What can I do to help?"**

 **"You've done enough, just keep an eye on the boys - did Sid get his tea?"**

 **"Yes, then he went back to sleep."**

 **"Good, the tea and lots of sleep will help them both feel better."** **Nana went to the pantry to start making Tobey's remedy. Sue stayed, watching the boy's room door.**

 **Tobey was awake. In spite of Nana's tea, he awakened in a panic thinking it was later than it was. He lay on the bed checking his hands and face for hair. "I just can't do this again!" he mumbled.**

 **Even though Tobey was trying to be quiet, quiet for Tobey, Sid still heard him and woke up.**

 **"Tobey?" Are you okay?" Sid asked from his bunk.**

 **"Yeah Sid, but I'm gonna change any minute - you better tie me up and get out of here!"**

 **"I won't tie you up. And I'm not leaving,"**

 **Sid answered, "It won't be dark for over an hour."**

 **"Only a delay of the inevitable," Tobey said sadly. "Promise you won't let me hurt anyone if I change."**

 **"You won't hurt anyone - you don't even know if you will change, Nana should have the antidote ready soon."**

 **"The moon is full enough tonight - Sid, I'm scared," Tobey said.**

 **Sid got up off his bed and part way up Tobey's ladder. "I know you are scared, I am too, but not of you."**

 **"Maybe you should be scared, Sid. You know what a good fighter I am and werewolves are strong anyway!" Tobey cried.**

 **"Nana hasn't failed us yet. She will make you a cure, and you'll be okay." Sid reminded him.**

 **"Sid, if . . . I mean, . . . If she can't - promise you will do whatever it takes to keep me from hurting you or Sue or anyone else ever again," Tobey begged.**

 **"Alright Tobey, if it'll make you feel better, I promise - and I also promise that it won't come to that!" Sid insisted.**

 **"I'm going down for something to eat - we both missed lunch, are you coming?" Sid said.**

 **"Yeah Sid, I guess I'm hungry," Tobey said. "I'll be down in a minute. I need to find a clean shirt."**

 **"You'll smell better," Sid said, smiling.**

 **Tobey didn't even crack a smile after Sid's teasing.**

 **They ate in a booth but didn't do much talking. Then Sid went back upstairs with Tobey.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Calvin stomped and complained like a little kid when Nana told him that all three of his delivery kids would be taking the night off from deliveries again.**

 **"Now Calvin, Monday nights are usually slow for deliveries anyway. I'm sure you and Barney can handle things."**

 **Nana left her son, Mr. Wu yelling in the kitchen.**

 **"Nana, how much longer?" Sue asked, "It's getting dark."**

 **"It should be ready any minute - it must turn Green to be powerful enough to cure," Nana said.**

 **After what seemed like an eternity, in the boy's room Tobey sat at the computer desk nervously tapping his foot. "I can feel it happening, I'm changing!" he said suddenly.**

 **Sid watched Tobey get up and go to the window to look out. The last of the daylight will be gone any minute."**

 **"But the moon won't rise for a while yet. Try to relax." Sid said. "It just seems darker because it's cloudy."**

 **"Ready boys!" Nana announced when Sid opened the door.**

 **She held a tray with a teapot, a bowl and a glass of something green.**

 **"That looks pretty gross, Nana," Sid said.**

 **"Well, it is gross, as you say. Adding sugar would have changed the recipe too much. Tobey, you have to drink it all and then wash it down as fast as you can with this warm tea."**

 **"Okay, Nana. I don't care how bad it is if it works." Tobey said and held his breath in anticipation of the nasty green liquid's taste. Tobey drank it half way down, making a sour face and stopped to take a breath.**

 **"Keep going Tobey," Sid coached, "you're more than halfway done!"**

 **Tobey kept gulping.**

 **"The faster it's down, the quicker you can wash it down with the tea!" Sue encouraged.**

 **Tobey finished the green stuff, and Sid handed him the warm cup of tea. Tobey gratefully drank it down quickly, "Thanks, Sid - Nana and Sue."**

 **"Nana, how long will we have to wait to find out if it worked?" Sue asked.**

 **"No need," Tobey said, "I can already feel it working!"**

 **From where Sid stood he could see out the window that the moon was up.**

 **"There buddy, you made it!" Sid turned around and saw Tobey hugging his sister. He smiled when he saw that Tobey was hugging Sue back with his hands on her back. He heard her say, "I'm glad you're okay - I was so worried about you."**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **As Sid watched them, he saw Tobey's nails suddenly grow his fingers got longer, and his nose and mouth elongated and developed long fangs.**

 **"Tobey!" Sid yelled just as Tobey sunk his claws into Sue's back.**

 **"Aaah!" She screamed and folded her knees.**

 **Sue dropped down out of Tobey-wolf's grip. Before Tobey could grab her again, Sid was in the air. He knocked Tobey-wolf down with a knee to his furry snout.**

 **"No! Tobey! But . . ." Nana cried unbelieving her eyes. She set her jaw and ran to her room to get the gun.**

 **Tobey-wolf was up again in a flash and lunged at Sid. Sid went down on his stomach with Tobey wolf standing on his back. Sid could feel the wolf's breath in his ear as Tobey-wolf sniffed his hair in the back.**

 **Sid managed to turn just enough that he elbowed Tobey-wolf in the nose just when he was about to be bitten.**

 **"Nana!" Sue cried when she saw her Nana in the doorway aiming the gun at Tobey-wolf. Nana had tears in her eyes and hesitated.**

 **Tobey-wolf yelped when he fell back from Sid's strike holding his nose with his paw. He glared at Sid and lunged again.**

 **Nana fired a silver bullet at her foster son.**

 **Sid was knocked down by Tobey-wolf. He squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of the pain he was sure would follow and let out an involuntary cry when the gunshot echoed in the small room.**

 **Scared by the gunshot, Tobey-wolf landed on Sid's bunk instead of on Sid and then jumped out the window. Nana's first shot missed, and she shot again, but Tobey-wolf was gone.**

 **Sue leaned out the window and cried, "No! Tobey, come back!" The last thing she saw of their friend was his bushy tail disappearing around a corner across the street.**

 **"We have to go after him!" Nana said. She tucked the gun into her pants and ran with Sid and Sue through the front door across the street and up the fire escape in the nearest alley.**

 **They checked all around the building but didn't see Tobey wolf anywhere and just to punctuate the sad situation; it started to pour rain.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Sue pulled her collar up tightly around her neck but her hair was already soaked.**

 **"Sue, Sid, come here," Nana called from across the roof.**

 **They jogged back to Nana. "Kids, I want you to go home - I'll take care of this, and I don't want you to see - I just I don't want you to be there."**

 **"Tobey is our friend. We want to be there - especially if this is going to be the - end," Sue said sadly, and Sid nodded.**

 **"We have to think of something else - there has to be something that we can do," Sid said.**

 **"Are you sure you had the recipe right, the right antidote, Nana?" Sue asked.**

 **"Yes Sue, I followed the monkshood recipe exactly.**

 **"But Tobey isn't a werewolf of legend. There must be something else we need to do!"**

 **"I hope so, and I hope you two think of it before it is too late, but firstly we have to keep Tobey from hurting or turning anyone else.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Tobey-wolf wasn't out hunting for another mate or even more pack members, or food for that matter.**

 **He loped down alleys and behind buildings going up to the rooftops only when he had to get where he was going without being seen. He could smell the She-wolf's scent, although she smelled strange to him.**

 **He jumped from ledge to ledge up the back of the Chinatown Hospital to the fourth floor, where he sensed that Jenny-wolf was.**

 **Looking in the window, Tobey-wolf could see Jenny, but she wasn't a wolf. She was unconscious and hadn't changed from her human form.**

 **The doctors had removed the silver bullet from her body, but it was like the silver poisoned her werewolf part, and the gunshot wound injured her human part, and there was a war going on in her unconscious body.**

 **The doctors had been able to keep her body alive, but they didn't know how much longer she'd last.**

 **Tobey-wolf sat on the ledge in the rain looking at her for a long time. He whined like a lost puppy and put one big hairy hand on the glass.**

 **His Wolf-Mate didn't move, but a nurse came into her room and screamed when she saw Tobey Wolf outside the window. He jumped straight up to the roof and ran.**

 **The nurse called 911, and the police responded with sirens. Two blocks away from the hospital Tobey-wolf sat on a roof looking down to the street. A police car went by below with sirens blaring, and Tobey-wolf whined softly.**

 **A woman in a building across the street saw Tobey-wolf out her window and screamed. He ran the other way across the rooftop and came down in the alley.**

 **Tobey-wolf felt lost and alone and maybe a little hungry.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **"Nana!" Sue said, looking at her phone. Nana stepped closer to look at the small screen.**

 **~~~~ Reports of citizens seeing a real werewolf in Chinatown are coming from the hospital district. Police cars responded to the area after several calls from people saying they saw a werewolf. Don't worry folks the police have it trapped. ~~~~**

 **"Oh no, Tobey!" Nana said.**

 **"Nana!" What if the cops shoot him?"**

 **"Unless they have silver bullets it will only cause Tobey pain - we have to find him before anyone else does." Nana waved down a cab, and they sped off toward the hospital.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Tobey crouched in the bushes only about a block from the Hospital. The bushes were behind a parking lot that was surrounded by trees and forest at the edge of Chinatown.**

 **Above the parking area was a wide strip of forest and above that was a cliff that dropped straight down to the ocean on the other side.**

 **"We got him, men. The creature is still back here someplace, and there is no place he can go to get away without one of us seeing him.**

 **A Helicopter hovered overhead searching with a powerful light. And a dozen armed citizens joined the police in the hunt.**

 **Up the hill, they came. In a sort of line, they climbed through bushes and stopped behind trees like they were trying to hide.**

 **Tobey-Wolf was lining up what kind of midnight snack he wanted in order of fat content.**

 **An out of shape, very round man panted, leaning against a tree. The tree was next to the bushes that concealed Tobey-wolf.**

 **The out of breath man waved the gun around with his finger on the trigger like he'd never picked a gun up before. He knew nothing about safely handling a gun.**

 **As a werewolf, Tobey knew nothing about guns either and readied himself to pounce.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Nana, Sid and Sue followed the crowd to the area where the police were sure they had Tobey-wolf cornered. Nana led the way, and they intermingled with the citizens and police officers, Nana, Sue and Sid traveled much faster than the citizens or even the police officers.**

 **None of them wanted to be the first to encounter the 'monster' they were after. But to be first was the only thing important to Nana, Sid and Sue.**

 **As they ran up the hill out in front of the others, Sid felt the knife in his belt but still didn't draw it out. Sue didn't take her knife out either determined that she wouldn't use it on Tobey no matter what.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Tobey Continued . . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

 **One of My Cookies is Missing**

 **a Three Delivery fic**

 **by Crystalquirt**

 **Requested by**

 **silverheartlugia2000**

 **Profile: u/3218369/**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Suddenly just ahead and closest to Sid, there was screaming, and a stand of bushes shook. There were six gunshots in rapid succession from behind the bushes.**

 **Sid, Sue and Nana ran ahead, even into the gunfire.**

 **The round man didn't know what he was shooting at, or where he was shooting. He pulled the trigger accidentally, out of fear.**

 **Tobey-wolf pounced but in mid-flight, the wise Tobey-Nian inside overwhelmed the werewolf side. Tobey came up short of landing on the man, and the Wise Nian inside of Tobey had him roll away from the man who was shooting. Proving at least, a Nian with Tobey's mind wasn't a man-eater.**

 **Tobey had already mastered the way of the Nian and seemed to be gaining some control over his werewolf side.**

 **Looking around, the Tobey-nian was hoping for a way to escape from all the people with guns rather than have a meal.**

 **An officer that had been climbing near Sue grabbed his shoulder where he'd been shot and fell.**

 **Mr. Wong from the antique shop was shot in the leg. He had been only a short distance from Nana.**

 **One bullet hit the ground right next to where Sid was running, two went stray, and the other hit Tobey-wolf's hind leg, above his hock. The bullet went through his lower thigh.**

 **The wound sizzled in the damp night air, and Tobey-wolf howled in pain.**

 **The officers went faster up the steep hill, while Sid, Sue, and Nana already in the lead, went even faster.**

 **"Tobey!" Sid cried.**

 **Nana jumped through the bushes followed closely by Sid and Sue. They got there just in time to see Tobey-Wolf jump over the cliff.**

 **"Tobey!" Sid and Sue called. They were helpless to do anything but watch Tobey-wolf fall into the water and rocks below.**

 **Citizens yelled at each other, 'Get down to the beach' and 'The monster fell!' Most of them turned to run back down, excited to get down to the ocean to be the first to find the creature's body.**

 **The officers who weren't tending to the injured followed. No one stopped to look at the small family gathered at the top of the cliff.**

 **Sid and Sue got tears in their eyes, as did Nana. She hugged Sue and tried to hug Sid, but he refused angrily. "I'm fine - I have to go find Tobey!"**

 **Sid wiped tears from his cheeks as he ran down along the cliff side.**

 **Sue broke the hug, "Nana, we have to follow - Sid's gonna get himself in trouble."**

 **"Right Sue." Nana agreed.**

 **Sid ran down the cliff side, slippery with rain-slick rocks and mud. He stayed high where he could see the ocean.**

 **Those who went back down the hill to drive around would take much longer to get there since they had to park and then travel by foot even farther than Sid would.**

 **A large rock sitting in mud tilted when Sid stepped on it, and he slid down the steep incline on the ocean side. Loose rocks and mud went with him.**

 **"Aaah!" He cried involuntarily as he went. Sid recovered and athletically jumped to the first large rock below sitting out in the water.**

 **"That was a shortcut I didn't plan on - but it got me here faster!" Sid said. He stopped to look around. The waves splashed, getting his feet as wet with salt water. He was already wet all over from the rain and mud.**

 **Sid saw Tobey-wolf limping from the water. He only had to go a short distance to be against the cliff. He lay down under a shallow ledge Tobey-wolf to lick his wound.**

 **"It must not have been a silver bullet. But it's hurting him." Sid mumbled as he hopped to another rock to get closer.**

 **"Tobey? Let me help - Please - we have to get out of here - half of Chinatown is coming, and they're all armed."**

 **Tobey-wolf hadn't seen Sid until he spoke. He righted himself and assumed a pouncing position.**

 **"Tobey - no, let me help you - can you just follow me?"**

 **Not understanding, Tobey-wolf, in pain and still hungry lunged at Sid. But Tobey wolf was weakened by his wound and was slow. Sid leaped up, and Tobey-wolf missed, landing where Sid had been. Sid came down on sand surrounded by rocks.**

 **Weakly, Tobey-wolf jumped at Sid again. Sid's feet slipped on the slick rock, and he fell. Tobey-wolf landed on Sid with one large clawed hand on Sid's chest and a back paw on Sid's leg. He growled, casually sniffing Sid's neck.**

 **Sid put his hand up trying to protect his throat. "Tobey - please - you know me! Let me help you get to safety. Tobey-wolf weakly sniffed Sid's hand that he held up trying to protect himself.**

 **Just when it looked like Tobey-nian would win, and the wolf would back off. Sid relaxed a little, and Tobey-wolf chomped hard on Sid's arm.**

 **"Aahgnnnn!" Sid screamed. Tobey-wolf let go of his arm and growled right in Sid's face. "Tobey - please!"**

 **Running along the rocks on the shore, ahead, Nana and Sue saw Tobey-wolf standing on Sid, keeping him pinned down helplessly. Nana stopped and took out her gun with the silver bullets.**

 **"No - Nana! Please! Let me try to talk to him!" Sue cried.**

 **"I'm sure Sid tried to talk to him - that's not Tobey right now - he won't understand! He could kill Sid or even just bite him, and we'd lose both of them!" Nana argued.**

 **Tobey-wolf looked at Nana and Sue and whined before he collapsed on top of Sid.**

 **"Oh, Tobey." Trapped under Tobey-wolf, Sid scratched the fur around Tobey's ears like he'd pet a favorite dog.**

 **"Sid, are you okay?" Sue cried.**

 **"Mostly, but Tobey's been shot," Sid said.**

 **Nana still stood a short distance away, taking aim at the unconscious wolf.**

 **"Nana! Don't," Sue saw her.**

 **Before she took the shot, Tobey turned back into his cute human boy form with a flash of blue light.**

 **Sid stopped scratching his ears and hugged his friend. "I'm so sorry, Tobey!"**

 **"There! He's human! You can't shoot him, Nana!" Sue sacrificed her long sleeved shirt again, covering Tobey's butt and as much of his back as it would reach. She was between the boys and Nana.**

 **Helping to pull Tobey off of Sid, Sue still tried to stay between the boys and Nana. She knew Nana was beside herself with grief and guilt.**

 **Sue helped Sid stand up. He held Tobey across his arms. When he picked Tobey up, Sue repositioned her shirt to keep him covered, and Nana came close and sadly wrapped her knitted shawl around Tobey although it was as wet as he was from the rain.**

 **The first Officer ran up, "Did you folks see a monster fall from this cliff just a few minutes ago?"**

 **"Yes, he attacked my son - and went into the ocean," Nana said. "We have to get my boy to the hospital!"**

 **Nana herded Sid and Sue away from the officer. They walked to the end of the cliff, and only had to climb a short hill to where a cab met them.**

 **The cab driver said after seeing Tobey, "Hospital?"**

 **"No, Wu's Garden, please," Nana said.**

 **"Well, Chinese food is good for whatever ails me." The driver sighed. "You know best."**

 **Sid sat with Tobey mostly in his lap, and Tobey's legs were on Sue's lap. His feet in Nana's.**

 **"Nana, he feels so cold,"** **Sid said, sounding worried.**

 **"I know Sid, we'll get him home and warmed up - but then what?" Nana said.**

 **Sue whispered, "We try the antidote again."**

 **In the middle of the cab's seat, Sue moved her arm to get out of the way when Nana reached for Tobey's leg to see his wound. Nana pulled the edge of the shawl back and picked up his leg.**

 **She whispered so the driver wouldn't hear, "There is an exit wound. The bullet isn't in his leg. I don't' think it got much more than skin and muscle on its way through his calf."**

 **"That's good, I don't think any of us are prepared to do surgery, and they would ask a lot of questions we can't answer at the hospital," Sue said.**

 **Tobey's shoulders needed covering up, and when Sid took his arm out from under him to cover him up, Sue saw his bloody sleeve.**

 **"Sid! Why are you bleeding?" Sue asked her brother suddenly.**

 **"Tobey bit my arm instead of my neck like he was aiming for," Sid said simply.**

 **"But he bit you? It doesn't matter where!" Sue confirmed.**

 **"I know, Sue," Sid said, "I'm trying not to think about it now."**

 **"Nana!" Sue said.**

 **Nana whispered, "We'll talk more when we're inside."**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **The cab pulled up to the front of Wu's.**

 **"They are up early." Nana groaned.**

 **Nana asked the driver to take them to the alley behind Wu's when she saw that Barney and Calvin were already up and cleaning the dining room.**

 **Sid carried Tobey through the garden and inside through the back door and then straight down to the pantry. No one saw them, fortunately.**

 **Sue checked the dryer and pulled out several warm blankets that Barney had finished drying but hadn't had time to come back down to get.**

 **Nana took two blankets from her and folded them in half to fit on the work table in the center of the room. Sid put Tobey down on them, and Sue covered him up with another blanket and a thin comforter.**

 **Sid rolled another small blanket into a pillow and put it under Tobey's head. He sat on the kitchen stool and found Tobey's hand to hold under the blanket.**

 **"Tobey feels like he's freezing," Sid said.**

 **Sue turned up the thermostat to warm the pantry.**

 **Nana was thoughtfully stirring and warming the rest of the Monkshood root recipe. Knowing that she now had two infected kids and trying to think why it didn't work the first time.**

 **"Keep Tobey warm." Nana instructed, "Get his wound cleaned and dressed. Sue, make some more of that tea. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Nana excused herself and went to the garden to use her phone.**

 **Sue got to making the tea, and Sid sat by Tobey, watching his friend's chest rise and fall with each breath. Sid focused on worrying about Tobey instead of thinking about the fact that he'd been bitten now.**

 **In a few minutes, Nana returned and said, "I called the hospital. Jenny is still hanging in there, but has not awakened yet."**

 **"Will Tobey be out for days too?"**

 **"I don't think so. Jenny was shot by a silver bullet - she should have died right away but for some reason is still alive."**

 **Tobey groaned, and his eyes fluttered open. "Tobey! Glad you're awake!" Sid said.**

 **"I turned again, didn't I? Why didn't you stop me! Did I hurt anyone?"**

 **"You bit Sid. But we just couldn't kill you. There must be a way to cure you!"**

 **"I bit him! That means he will turn tonight too! You'll have to - No! I'm so sorry, Sid. - Nana! You should have shot me before that happened!"**

 **Tobey sat up and pulled Sid over hugging the stuffing out of him. Sid started to pull away but stayed and returned the hug when he felt Tobey sobbing against his chest.**

 **"It's okay Tobey - we'll get through this." he said, supporting Tobey.**

 **Sue came over with the tea and bowls of chicken. "Here, you both need to drink the tea again and here is some leftover Ginger Chicken. It's only from yesterday - smells good anyway."**

 **"Thanks, Sue." Sid took his tea and bowl of chicken.**

 **Tobey groaned when he sat up. "I'm not hungry."**

 **"Tobey," Nana said, "you have to eat to keep up your strength."**

 **Tobey picked up his bowl of ginger chicken and smelled it, "Yuck!" he yelled and threw the bowl against the wall, where it shattered. At the same time, he rolled off the table to run away from the food, but Sid caught him.**

 **"If you're going to be running around, you better get dressed, buddy." Sid had grabbed the comforter and kept it around Tobey.**

 **"That stuff stinks so bad it hurts my nose!" Tobey cried, burying his face in the blanket.**

 **Sue and Nana watched the incident and neither reacted right away because they were thinking.**

 **Sue broke the silence first, "IT'S THE GINGER!"**

 **"YES, Sue! That must be what's missing from the recipe!"**

 **"Or maybe that's all they needed!" Sue answered. "I think I know why. They seem to be werewolves of legend, but they aren't."**

 **"Now, Tobey who usually loves Ginger Chicken shows a great aversion to it!" Sid said.**

 **"And Jenny didn't die from being shot with a silver bullet," Sue added.**

 **"Nana," Sid continued, "you said you were trying to make Nian-like creatures, even though you intended them to be small, from insects - a human at a cookie first."**

 **"Yeah, I must have come close enough to making a Nian, that victims of the cookie, even Tobey who got it sort of second hand, don't like Ginger. It's worth a try!"**

 **Smiling, Sid patted Tobey's shoulder, "I'll run up to our room and get you some clothes."**

 **"If I have any clothes left," Tobey said sadly.**

 **Sid ran up the stairs.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **"Nana, do you think you should add the ingredients from the Nian antidote to the monkshood recipe that you already made?"**

 **"That might cover all of our bases. I just don't know yet. Just in case, I'll make the Nian antidote the same way, and then if needed add it to the Monkshood."**

 **"Sounds right, Nana." Sue agreed. "At least we should have all day to do this."**

 **"Yes Sue, but we will still have to wait until tonight to find out if it worked."**

 **"Will the moon still be full enough?" Sue asked.**

 **"If your theory is correct the moon might not be needed to make the change happen. Nian can exist anytime, not just during the full moon."**

 **"So it just happened that there was a full moon when this all started?"**

 **"Perhaps Sue," Nana said.**

 **Sid returned with Tobey's clothes and was helping him get dressed. Sid held the blanket up around him while Tobey, standing on one leg pulled up his pants.**

 **Once Tobey had his pants on, Sid picked him up under his arms and sat him back on the table.**

 **"Here, at least drink the tea. That's all you need is an infection." Sid sipped his tea too and found it cold. He sat his and Tobey's cups in the microwave on the counter and turned it on.**

 **"Is that still the tea that helps with pain? Because my leg really hurts." Tobey hissed through his teeth. Holding his knee, just above his gunshot wound.**

 **"Yeah, Buddy - it helped a lot with my back," Sid said. "Here, turn sideways." Sid helped Tobey turn so that he could put his injured leg up on the table.**

 **"Looks like it stopped bleeding, it hasn't soaked through the bandages," Sid observed.**

 **"Speaking of blood," Tobey said, "Nana and Sue are both busy. Hand me the first aid kit and take off your long-sleeved shirt." Tobey ordered.**

 **"What?" Sid asked.**

 **"I'm going to bandage your arm where I bit you - it is the least I can do, right?"**

 **"Right Tobey, just don't use as much tape as you usually do."**

 **After just a few minutes, Sid said, "Hey Tobey, that feels great - You put on a good bandage."**

 **"Practice makes perfect, and we have been getting a lot of practice, even though we haven't seen Kong Li in a while."**

 **They heard Nana sniffle and turned in time to see her cover her face with her apron.**

 **"Nana? What's wrong?" Tobey asked. Sue stopped stirring the brown goo she made and went to Nana.**

 **"You're right, I've done more damage to you kids and Chinatown than Kong Li has with my meddling. All the suffering your boys have been through and if you would d-, it would be my fault!" Nana covered her face again.**

 **"No Nana! We would never blame you!" Sid said.**

 **"It takes guts to practice and fight magic with magic - sometimes things go sideways - it's no one's fault!" Sue said. "Nana please, there is still hope for Sid and Tobey, right? We need you to finish the antidote."**

 **"It's our only hope," Sid said.**

 **"Nana you're the only one who can save us!" Tobey chimed in.**

 **"Right kids," Nana pulled herself together.**

 **"Nana since Tobey is dressed and almost looking normal if Barney or Mr. Wu see him - we'd like to go up to our room and rest," Sid said.**

 **"Fine children, when we have something, we'll come up to get you," Nana said.**

 **Sid helped Tobey off of the table and carried their teacups. Barefooted, Tobey hopped up the stairs on one leg.**

 **When they were passing the kitchen, Calvin happened to look up.**

 **"Sid? Tobey? When will you be back to work?"**

 **"I'm not sure, Mr. Wu," Sid said. "You'll have to ask Nana."**

 **"My mother is being very secretive. And every time I see you there seem to be new injuries. Like why is Tobey limping now and your arm is all bandaged up, Sid?" Calvin said.**

 **"We were roughhousing again, even though you told us not to, Sorry Mr. Wu," Tobey said. He kept hopping up the stairs to their room. Sid followed him.**

 **"Wait you two, you know about the werewolves in Chinatown don't you?" Calvin said.**

 **"Oh, um Mr. Wu, we've been awfully busy." Sid began.**

 **"Don't go out all banged up like that - you wouldn't have a chance if you ran into it. It's been all over the news." Calvin warned.**

 **"Right, Nana won't let us leave I hope," Tobey said.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **In the pantry, Nana and Mei Hua were mixing the last of their ingredients.**

 **"Nana, I'm worried," Sue began.**

 **"I am too Sue - I just don't know what's going to happen," Nana said.**

 **"Not so much about that," Sue corrected, "I mean the dogs were still Nian when they drank the potion and changed back. They weren't Nian long enough to see if they would change back on their own in the daytime."**

 **"I see. You're worried that if Tobey and Sid drink this while they are human, it may not have the same curative effect?" Nana said.**

 **"Right Nana - I hope they don't have to turn into the creatures before it works to cure them."**

 **"I don't know Sue. I hope so. It will be hard enough to get Tobey to drink the Ginger without having to do it while he's a werewolf."**

 **Sue looked sad. "Sid too. Do you think he really will change tonight too, Nana?"**

 **"I'm afraid so," Nana said. "That's how it went for Tobey after he was bitten."**

 **"Maybe it will lose some potency. Sid is the third person bitten from the original who actually ate the cookie."**

 **"We can only hope so, Sue," Nana said. "We have no idea what will happen and can't know until tonight."**

 **Sid and Tobey slept all day and might have slept longer, but Nana knocked on their door.**

 **"Come in," Sid said, finger combing his messy hair. Tobey groaned when he moved his leg.**

 **"How are you boys' feeling?" Nana asked.**

 **"I don't know - I just woke up! Except my leg hurts." Tobey answered. He hopped down from his bunk on one leg and sat beside Sid on his bunk.**

 **Nana came into the room, followed closely by Sue, who was carrying tea for both boys.**

 **"Tea Time," Sue said. She handed the boys their tea. "Nana, can I stay for a few minutes?"**

 **"Of course Sue. I'll see you after while in the pantry. I have one more thing I want to do, and I'll bring the antidote up here." Nana said and left the room. Sue sat on the floor in front of Tobey and Sid.**

 **"How is the antidote coming?" Sid asked.**

 **"Must not be great, or Nana would have had it with her when she brought the tea." Tobey said. "it's almost dark out."**

 **"She just wants to be sure. This whole situation has been unexpected." Sue said. "Nana is pretty upset."**

 **"I know how she feels," Tobey said, "I would do anything to go back and not have bitten Sid."**

 **"You couldn't help it, it fact I don't see it as you who bit me - you were definitely not yourself," Sid said.**

 **"I wish I was stronger, as strong as you," Tobey said. Sid thought his eyes looked wet again and put his arm around his shoulders.**

 **Sue held Tobey's hands in hers. I have faith in Nana - I know she can save you both."**

 **Sue felt a change in the feel of Tobey's hand. She looked down, but at the same time, Sid growled "Sue! Get away! - It's happening!"**

 **Sue rolled away from the boys and caught a glimpse through the window. It was dark outside.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Tobey changed into a werewolf and snarled at the others. After the change, shreds of his clothing were left on the floor around him.**

 **Sid changed too, partly. He grew more hair on his face with long sideburns, his human hair got longer, and his arms and legs had a soft, short growth of black hair running along the top of his arms and fronts of his legs.**

 **It looked more like protective skateboard accessories than hair. His muscles grew larger, and his pajama pants tore.**

 **Sue backed away, shaking her head with tears in her eyes. But Sid's face didn't change that much - and he could speak.**

 **"Wow - Sue - I'm still me somehow!" Sid looked down at himself. He didn't have nearly as much hair as Tobey did, and fortunately, he still had only partially shredded, pajama pants on.**

 **"I'll stop Tobey!" Sid promised. He assumed a fighting stance.**

 **At first, Tobey-wolf seemed to be waiting to see if Sid would finish changing and become the first member of his new pack.**

 **One thing Sid did get from the change was that he was as strong or stronger than Tobey-wolf. He stood up his hind legs and tried to push Sid down, but Sid pushed back.**

 **Tobey snapped at his head, and his teeth and slobber got it Sid's new fur. Sid pushed harder avoiding Tobey-wolf's bites. Sid swung his leg behind Tobey's injured hind leg and put him down.**

 **Losing the battle, Tobey-wolf rolled back to his feet and jumped out the window. Sid-Nian ran after him, loping along like an animal.**

 **Now when the two wolf-nian creatures ran along the rooftops, they weren't playing. It took all Sid had in him to keep fighting Tobey-wolf off.**

 **Just when he thought he had Tobey-wolf cornered on the rooftop of a Chinatown Department store things went sideways.**

 **"Tobey, stop! Don't you know me at all?" Sid asked, when his friend hesitated, finding himself in a corner. Too high to jump, Tobey-wolf turned and howled at Sid.**

 **"Come on Tobey!" Sid growled in encouragement, "You mastered the ways of the Nian - now fight the wolf inside you!"**

 **Tobey snarled at Sid, but then he shook his head like he had fleas. His expression softened when he looked at Sid-Nian.**

 **"Tobey? Can you hear me?" Sid asked, thinking he got through to Tobey, "Let me take you back to Nana for the antidote!"**

 **"It's okay Sid," Sue interrupted, "were here, we have the antidote. We only have to get it into him."**

 **Sid didn't see Nana and Sue come up on the roof behind him, and said, "I'm glad you're here."**

 **"Just don't let Tobey get away again!" Sue cried.**

 **Sid took a step at Tobey, and Tobey-wolf leaned back, growling. "Tobey, try to fight it - you know me, somewhere deep down, you know me!" Sid said.**

 **Sid managed to take three more steps toward Tobey-wolf. Tobey was blinking and growling deep in his throat. To Sid, it sounded more like purring than growling.**

 **Sid got a little closer, and Tobey went down on all fours shaking his head and gritting his teeth, he cried, "No! I don't want to hurt Sid! Run Away!"**

 **"Tobey!" Sid cried, "You did it!"**

 **But suddenly Tobey-wolf shook his head as though to clear his mind and jumped at Sid-Nian.**

 **"No!" Sue cried, and Nana held her back. Nana said, "You can't help Sid, it would be like jumping into a fight between two lions!"**

 **Nighttime inventory re-stockers at the department store came up to see what was making the ruckus on the roof. They stayed behind the door to the roof, peeking out timidly.**

 **Sid was caught off guard and fell backward when Tobey-Wolf jumped. He was stuck on his back, with Tobey standing on him.**

 **Sid kicked under Tobey's belly and made him howl. Tobey snapped at Sid's face, and Sid barely managed to hold him back.**

 **"Tobey! Please! You were almost there! I know you can understand me! Fight it!"**

 **A lady covered her mouth when it looked like one monster would kill the other. The onlookers closed the door a little more, but still peeked out except one man; he stood out in the open feeling braver than he should have, watching.**

 **Tobey stopped trying to bite Sid's face, and his growl turned soft again. Sid used both feet and threw Tobey-wolf over his head. Tobeywolf landed on his back, with Sid on top of him.**

 **Tobey-wolf growled a sound that sounded like "Sid," but then he kicked with his hind legs and clawed Sid's outer thigh. Sid whined but didn't let up.**

 **Larger when human, Sid was still larger and stronger than Tobey, even as a werewolf and he kept him pinned down. Sid only changed his position a little to keep Tobey-wolf from clawing his leg again.**

 **"Nana!" Sid sounded like he was growling.**

 **"Stay back!" Nana said to Sue and ran to Sid. She handed him a bowl full of the monkshood nian antidote recipe.**

 **"Get this down Tobey's throat however you can!" Nana instructed.**

 **Sid put his knee on Tobey-wolf's front leg and used his hand to pry open Tobey-wolf's strong jaws. He started to pour, but Tobey bit at the bowl nearly making Sid drop it.**

 **Nana took the bowl back, and Sid used one hand to hold Tobey-wolf's jaws shut, and with one clawed finger he pulled open a pouch of lip made in the corner of Tobey's mouth.**

 **Nana moved in and poured the antidote into the little opening that Sid made between Tobey-wolf's lips.**

 **Tobey growled and sputtered. Some of the antidote spilled, but they got most of it in Tobey's mouth. Trying to growl, Tobey had to swallow or drown.**

 **"There, it's in," Sid said. "Tobey - keep fighting the wolf!"**

 **"Nana we don't have any for Sid now," Sue said, worried about her brother.**

 **"Don't worry I have enough for your brother in my bag."**

 **"I need to stay this way right now to help control Tobey anyway. I can still help!"**

 **"Tobey stay down!" Tobey-wolf looked fearful, and he cried softly when he struggled under Sid.**

 **"It's okay Tob, please, just change back!"**

 **"It didn't take the nian this long to change back. What do we do Nana?" Sue asked impatiently.**

 **It seemed like the earth stood still for a moment when a gunshot rang out. The worker standing on the roof watching held a gun.**

 **Sid-Nian exhaled suddenly and fell onto Tobey as the bullet entered his body. "No. . ." Sid growled as he passed out.**

 **"Nobody shoot!" Sue screamed "Nobody shoot! Those are my brothers!" She stood between the wolves and the other people on the rooftop.**

 **Tobey-wolf took advantage and pushed Sid off. Sid had fainted, and Tobey-wolf rolled him around like a wet noodle.**

 **Now Tobey-wolf was on top and had Sid's shoulder at his collarbone in his jaws.**

 **Tobey-wolf shook Sid like a favorite toy. Sid was completely limp as his arms flailed around and Tobey drug him further toward the corner.**

 **Sue covered her eyes, fell to her knees and sobbed thinking Sid was dead and the antidote didn't work for Tobey.**

 **Nana shot a fireball at the crowd gathering to make them back off but took her gun with the silver bullets out.**

 **As she took aim at Tobey, Sue looked up as everything was suddenly very quiet.**

 **Sue screamed again, "No! Nana!"**

 **Blue swirls of light enveloped Tobey, and he changed, naked again, he fell on Sid's Nian fur. Shocked by the sudden change and sudden realization that he was naked and laying on Sid, he yelped and hopped off, sideways staying low to check Sid.**

 **Concerned for Sid, he forgot himself. He landed kneeling by Sid, leaning down trying to see into his friend's face, he cried, "Sid!"**

 **"Nana - tell me I didn't hurt him! Oh Sid, please open your eyes."**

 **"No Tobey - you did not hurt him. Someone over there shot him. They would have shot you too before you changed back but Sue put herself in the way.**

 **Sue kneeled down by Tobey and her brother. Tobey was shivering in the cold rain. She took off her rain jacket and put it around Tobey's shoulders. It was long enough to cover most of his 'business.'**

 **"Sid - please!" Tobey was sobbing on Sid's furry chest. "Sid - please be okay!" he cried.**

 **"How will we get him out of here?" Sue asked sounding desperate.**

 **Nana was down on one knee checking Sid over. "Sid is not breathing well, and there is a sucking sound," Nana said softly. "The bullet entered his chest, probably a lung."**

 **"Oh!" Sue cried.**

 **"Come on Sid - we need you to wake up to drink some antidote!" Nana said.**

 **Nana waved a vial of something giving off purple fumes under Sid's nose, and he miraculously opened his eyes.**

 **"Oh, the pain! What happened to me?" Sid growled.**

 **"You'll be okay Sid - we just need you to drink down some of the antidote."**

 **Sid clenched his jaw and groaned, "I don't think I can Nana! Why am I in such pain?" Sid growled softly.**

 **"Just do your best." Nana encouraged.**

 **Nana held up a small canteen took the lid off. She began letting it dribble into Sid's mouth."**

 **Sid coughed violently.**

 **Sid please, Tobey begged, "Please you have to drink the antidote!"**

 **Sid closed his eyes and tried to hold his breath. Nana started dribbling more antidote in his mouth. He had swallowed a couple of times before he began coughing violently again.**

 **Sue and Tobey turned Sid up on his side to cough more effectively. When the coughing was over, Nana had him try again.**

 **Tobey cried, "This is like we're torturing him! He can't breath well enough to drink anything!"**

 **"No Tobey - it's okay," Sid said, "I have to get it in" - and opened his mouth so Nana could give him more.**

 **Every time Sid coughed, he pushed out more blood and bubbles through the gunshot wound.**

 **Sue folded her handkerchief and pressed it to the hole in her brother's furry chest.**

 **Sid had tears in his canine-like eyes after another swallow of the foul Gingery stuff.**

 **"Stop - I can't breathe!" Sid groaned.**

 **He rolled all the way onto his side and drew his legs up in a fetal position. He panted. "It hurts!"**

 **"I know Sid - I hope you got enough," Nana said. "Well give him a minute and try for some more."**

 **"It would be better if paramedics or doctors didn't see his animal side if we can help it," Sue said. "I just hope the cure doesn't finish him off."**

 **Sid whined, "Doctors?"**

 **"Yes Sid," Nana confirmed, "you need real medical care - you're injured beyond my ability to treat," Nana said sadly.**

 **"What happened to me? - not Tobey he wouldn't have!" Sid asked.**

 **"No not Tobey." Sue answered, "You saved Tobey - you held him down long enough to get the antidote down his throat too."**

 **"See, I lost all that extra hair," Tobey said, holding his arm where Sid could see it if he opened his eyes.**

 **Tobey leaned forward again. From behind Sid, he put his forehead on Sid's shoulder and spoke softly, "Thank you, Sid, I owe you big time - I'll let you win the next time we race, okay?"**

 **"Yeah, buddy." Sid smiled at his attempt to keep things even.**

 **"You'll be okay - you're the strongest person I know," Tobey whispered.**

 **Finally blue light swirled around Sid, and he lost all the extra hair he'd grown, but he also lost all the extra muscle, and it made his injury look so much larger.**

 **Sue only moved the makeshift bandage she held over the wound while he changed. Her brother's human body being more frail, the wound was bleeding again when she pressed back down on it.**

 **"Oh, Sid." Sue was shocked and surprised how much more terrible the wound looked now.**

 **"A little relieved, Nana yelled at the on-lookers, "didn't anyone call an ambulance? My son's been shot here!"**

 **"No way, I didn't shoot a kid - he was a monster!" the man who fired the gun dropped it and took a few steps closer to Sid to try and see him.**

 **"This is my son!" Nana yelled. Three women in the group were calling 911.**

 **"Was he in a costume or something? From over there he looked like a monster! Both of them did!"**

 **As always the police showed up with the paramedics. Nana told them that her boys had been attacked by a werewolf since the rumors were already circling, her story would fit right in with their injuries. Well, most of their injuries.**

 **One paramedic wrapped Tobey up in a silver thermal blanket and then put another one over his head like a large hood to keep the rain off of his head.**

 **Then he covered Sid from the waist down. The torn pajama bottoms he still had on were soaking wet and stuck to his skin.**

 **The first Paramedic said, "Gunshot wound to the chest! Call it in!" he was busy counting Sid's heart rate and taking his blood pressure.**

 **"His blood pressure is dangerously low!" The first paramedic said, starting an IV while the other medic called the hospital for further instructions.**

 **Nana was trying to explain what happened to an Officer without explaining everything.**

 **"One of the onlookers shot my son accidentally when he tried to shoot the werewolf," Nana explained.**

 **"Where is that man now?" the officer asked.**

 **"He must have left - he was very upset. He may have gone inside. The others over there who were watching could probably tell you who he his." Nana suggested, hoping the officer would walk away.**

 **But the officer didn't leave right away. He stayed and asked, "What happened to the boys' clothes?"**

 **"Oh, um the werewolf shredded their clothes," Nana explained weakly.**

 **The officer kept asking, "What were you doing up here?"**

 **"We were below, shopping and the werewolf chased us up here to the roof." Nana was getting a little nervous. He was asking a lot of questions.**

 **"The moon isn't full tonight - are you sure it was a werewolf?" the officer asked again.**

 **A few feet away, Sue screamed and fell, pretending to faint. With the Paramedics already helping the boys, the officer left Nana alone to check on the fainting girl.**

 **Nana looked worried at her, but Sue managed to wink at Nana without anyone else seeing her.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **The ambulance took Sid to the same hospital where Jenny was still recovering. It was only about a block away. The medics, joined by nurses and doctors ran Sid straight to surgery.**

 **They wanted to take Tobey into a treatment room, but he refused. Sue and Tobey sat on a sofa in the emergency waiting room. Tobey still only wore the two large thermal blankets.**

 **When Nana left the area, Sue knew where she was going and explained to Tobey. "She is going to sneak into Jenny's room and give her some of the antidote if she can."**

 **"I hope she's in time," Tobey said. "She should have let me go with her!"**

 **"You aren't quite dressed for it." Sue reminded him, "Besides, until we hear about Sid's condition, I want you to stay with me."**

 **"Okay Sue," Tobey smiled in spite of being very worried about Sid too.**

 **{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}**

 **Nana sneaked into Jenny's room and gave her some of the antidote, waiting for her to reflexively swallow a drop at a time since she was unconscious it was lucky that she still had a swallowing reflex.**

 **Even though she wasn't a wolf at the moment, the blue sparkles showed Nana that her antidote worked.**

 **"Rest child, I'm so sorry my actions put you through all this. Of course, it all started because you were trying to take things that are not yours."**

 **Nana rejoined Sue and Tobey in the waiting room. They had waited for four of the longest hours of their lives before Sid's surgeon came to the waiting area.**

 **"We got the bullet out of your son, and he's alive and doing as well as can be expected. The bullet damaged his left lung, but he is breathing on his own, and his vitals look good."**

 **"Then he'll be okay?" Sue asked urgently.**

 **"He is doing well, as far as we can tell right now, he will be fine. Recovery will take months. He won't be feeling up to returning to his normal routine right away."**

 **"You don't know Sid - He is strong and will bounce right back," Tobey said proudly.**

 **"When can we see him?" Sue asked.**

 **"He's still recovering from the anesthetic, but as soon as he wakes up, you can see him. It will still be a while. In the meantime, maybe get something from the cafeteria and go on up to the waiting room by intensive care to wait. The nurses there will keep you informed," The doctor said kindly.**

 **"Thank you, doctor," Nana said. She was feeling a great sense of relief. Tobey slipped away but was only gone for a minute. He came back without the silvery thermal blankets and wearing two hospital gowns, one on frontways and the other on backward so he had everything covered.**

 **"Good Idea Tobey, if you lost one of those blankets in the cafeteria, everyone there would have lost their appetite."**

 **"Hey, they just would have seen exactly how good looking I am, from my luscious hair to my toes."**

 **"Yes, you are quite the Greek god." Sue giggled.**

 **The end**


End file.
